Cody

Thomas

Butler had been slumping in June, but is 4-for-14 with two RBI and a steal over his last three games, so it’s a bit curious that the team would decide to give him a rest day just as he’s starting to figure things out. Brent Rooker will start in right field with Nick Kurtz sliding to DH, Tyler Soderstrom playing first base, and Cody Thomas entering the lineup in left field.

Thomas was in Rangers camp earlier this spring, but was shipped to the minor league side back in early March. The 30-year-old outfielder appeared in 29 contests at the big-league level with the Athletics from 2022-2023, hitting .250 (18-for-72) with one homer and two RBI.

Pennington, 26, did a decent job in 16 appearances at the big league level in 2024 — posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and a 17/11 K/BB ratio over 18 innings — so it’s a bit surprising to see him sent out so early when there are still unsettled spots in the Rangers’ bullpen. He’ll probably get an opportunity to pitch for the Rangers at some point during the upcoming 2025 season.

Thomas returns stateside after spending last year in Japan with the Orix Buffaloes. The 30-year-old is merely extra organizational depth at this stage of his career. He appeared in 29 contests at the big-league level with the Athletics from 2022-2023, hitting .250 (18-for-72) with one homer and two RBI.

Thomas was removed from Oakland’s 40-man roster back in August after getting into 29 games for the Athletics over the last two years. The 29-year-old outfielder holds a .250/.308/.333 triple-slash line with one homer and two RBI across 78 plate appearances in the big leagues. He’s performed well at the Triple-A level the last few years, which means he’ll probably exceed expectations overseas in Japan.

Thomas has been removed from Oakland’s 40-man roster heading into September roster expansion to make room for the club to add some younger talent. The 28-year-old outfielder has gotten into 29 contests over the last two seasons for the Athletics.

Thomas heads back to the minors with veteran Tony Kemp back from paternity leave.

Thomas gets the call back to the majors with center fielder Esteury Ruiz (shoulder) landing on the injured list ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Red Sox.

The 28-year-old had been designated for assignment late last week, but he passed through waivers unclaimed and will continue to function as depth for the A’s. He played in just 10 games with the A’s during the 2022 campaign and spent most of the season recovering from Achilles surgery.

The move clears a spot for new addition Trevor May on the 40-man roster. Thomas, 28, appeared in 10 games with the A’s this past season and spent a large chunk of the year after recovering from Achilles surgery.