Denzel

Clarke

Clarke joins the Aviators as they kick off the Pacific Coast League’s Championship series on Tuesday night against Tacoma. The 25-year-old defensive wizard has been out since mid-July recovering from a pair of adductor strains. It’s theoretically possible he makes it back to the Athletics’ lineup at some point later this week before the regular season wraps up.

If all goes well, Clarke “could potentially go out on rehab during the A’s next road trip,” which would be next week. Clarke has been sidelined since the end of July, so he might need at least a week on a rehab assignment, which could give him one week of games with the Athletics before the end of the season.

It’s a brand new strain for Clarke, who was working is way back from the exact same issue that put him on the shelf back in mid-July. The 22-year-old defensive wizard remains without a return timeline at this juncture.

Clarke is facing a multi-week absence after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 adductor strain. The 25-year-old rookier has been a revelation this season in center field, making some of the most incredible catches in recent memory. His absence creates an opportunity for prospect Colby Thomas to play regularly at the highest level.

Gallegos adds that there isn’t a definitive timetable for Clarke’s return, but it’ll likely be at least a couple weeks. The 25-year-old rookie center fielder, who has made some of the most spectacular defensive plays in recent memory, will be officially placed on the injured ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Rangers when the Athletics will make a corresponding move. It’ll likely be Colby Thomas coming up from Triple-A Las Vegas to take his roster spot.

Clarke showed off his speed with his first three-bagger of the season, and showed off some serious pop with a 471-foot homer in the seventh inning, which checks in as this season’s third-longest round-tripper in the majors. The 25-year-old prospect has been an electrifying defender in center field, but even with this latest strong effort at the dish, he’s slashing a relatively pedestrian .200/.248/.318 through 36 games. He’s shown some flashes that suggest he can be a fantasy-relevant player in the future, but Clarke remains a work in progress from an offensive standpoint.

JJ Bleday was sent back to Triple-A. Thomas, a 2022 third-round pick, will make his major league debut after hitting .297/.365/.542 with 17 homers and seven steals in 76 games for Las Vegas. That’s an offensive paradise, but Thomas was actually hitting better on the road; he slugged .576 in away games and .515 at home. It’ll be interesting to see how much the A’s play him. They love Denzel Clarke’s defense too much to sit him frequently, so Thomas might see most of his time in place of Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler against lefties.

It appears to be just a routine breather for the 25-year-old defensive wizard. Max Muncy and Luis Urias are also getting the evening off while manager Mark Kotsay mixes in his reserve options. JJ Bleday will start in Clarke’s place in center field and will bat seventh against Yankees’ right-hander Will Warren.

It’s astonishing that Clarke is back in the lineup after missing only one contest with a left shoulder contusion. It didn’t look good when he slammed full-speed into the left-center field wall during Friday’s showdown, but the 25-year-old rookie sensation somehow managed to avoid serious injury. He’s back in center field and batting ninth during Sunday’s series finale at Sutter Health Park.

Clarke has a shoulder contusion after colliding with the wall during Friday’s contest, and the A’s will give him at least one more day before he returns to the starting nine. Consider Clarke day-to-day for now.