Gio

Urshela

Urshela was cut loose late Sunday after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 33-year-old veteran infielder batted .238/.287/.326 with zero homers in 197 plate appearances over 59 games this season for the upstart Athletics. He’ll likely have to settle for a minor league contract if he’s going to latch on elsewhere.

The A’s needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster after claiming Jared Shuster off of waivers from the White Sox and Urshela was the unfortunate casualty this time around. The 33-year-old infielder was hitting an underwhelming .238/.287/.326 with zero homers and 20 RBI in 197 plate appearances with the A’s. He’ll probably go unclaimed on waivers and then elect free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Las Vegas.

This is just a routine day off for Butler, which happens to coincide with the Athletics facing a left-handed pitcher. He’s hitting .244 in 22 games in June, but has gone 1-for-17 in his last four games, so this will be a brief reset. Brent Rooker will play right field with Gio Urshela moving into the lineup at first base.

Urshela returns to the Athletics’ infield mix after missing just under four weeks with a left hamstring strain. The 33-year-old veteran will split time at the hot corner with rookie Max Muncy, who has taken over as the primary option at the position in recent weeks.

Urshela, on the IL since May 23 with a hamstring strain, is 3-for-6 with two walks between the two games. With Max Muncy having homered three times in seven games since his callup, the A’s are going to have to make a tough call to get Urshela back on the roster in the near future, at least assuming Jacob Wilson doesn’t need an IL stint for his hamstring.

Urshela has been on the injured list since May 23, so he likely won’t need too long on his rehab assignment. However, with Max Muncy back up in Sacramento, Urshela may have to settle for a bench role as a utility infielder.

We already knew that this move was coming as A’s skipper Mark Kotsay alluded to it after Thursday’s loss to the Angels. What’s unclear is just how long Urshela will be shelved for. CJ Alexander was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move to help provide some infield depth while Urshela is out.

Urshela suffered the injury during Thursday’s battle against the Angels. The A’s already have options on the active roster that can cover the hot corner defensively, so it’ll be interesting to see what they do in terms of a roster move when Urshela is officially placed on the injured list on Friday.

The severity of the injury — as well as how much time he may miss — remain to be seen. The Athletics have plenty of infield options capable of covering third base if Urshela is forced to the injured list, with Miguel Andujar and Max Schuemann the most likely to see increased action.

No word yet on what the injury is or how it was sustained, but Urshela left the game with the team trainer before the A’s took the field in the sixth inning. He had drawn a bases-loaded walk the previous half inning. Max Schuemann slid over to cover third base while Luis Urias entered the game to play second base. The team should have an update on his status shortly.