Tommy

White

White returns to the lineup for the first time since last Tuesday after missing sixth straight games with back issues. The 23-year-old rookie is at DH and hitting sixth in his return to the lineup.

White hasn’t made an appearance for the Athletics since last Tuesday due to ongoing back issues. He’s out of the lineup for the sixth consecutive game. It doesn’t seem like he’s going to land on the injured list since the club has been willing to ride out the issue for nearly one week at this juncture.

White sat out his third consecutive game due to lower back soreness. The 23-year-old rookie remains day-to-day for now.

White was pulled from Tuesdays’ game due to soreness in his lower back and has now missed two consecutive games since. If he isn’t ready to go for the weekend, the A’s may be forced to place him on the injured list. Jeff McNeil will slide over and cover first base while Michael Stefanic will draw a start at second base and will bat sixth against Mariners’ rookie left-hander Kade Anderson.

White appeared to be in some discomfort on a swing during his first at-bat of the night, which led to his early exit. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.

White seems to be settling in now. He hit the first two homers of his career last Sunday and Monday, and he went 3-for-4 on Saturday. This, though, was his best game to date from a contract standpoint; he had a 107.8-mph lineout and a 106.0-mph flyout that was projected at 409 feet and would have been a homer in 15 ballparks. He also had a 99.8-mph groundout to go along with his 92.8-mph single. White had topped 105 mph in exit velocity three times in 31 games coming into the day, peaking at 108.0.

The A’s let Kurtz rush back from his original thumb injury last month and will pay the price, though not really, since they’re not playing for much anyway. It’s unclear as of yet whether Kurtz will return this season. The A’s will likely go with Tommy White at first base, opening up time at third base for Max Muncy and Donovan Walton.

The rookie has struggled of late, slashing .140/.189/.220 in his last 15 games with a 15/1 K/BB ratio. He’s been mostly solid in his first MLB season, but there remains a chance that the A’s could move Zack Gelof back to the outfield when he returns from his knee injury and keep Tommy White active in the infield. Bolte’s playing time does not seem as guaranteed as it was a few weeks ago.

White did ground into a double play and was caught stealing after one of his singles, so it wasn’t a perfect night. Still, four hits in your third big-league game is impressive. The 23-year-old is 5-for-11 overall, and he’s yet to strike out. He’ll definitely be in the lineup Tuesday with the A’s facing a left-hander for a third straight game.

As previously reported, the 23-year-old slugger will join the Athletics for Friday’s second half opener against the Nationals. He’s expected to see action at first base while Nick Kurtz is shelved before making the move over to the hot corner. White had been slashing .303/.345/.489 with nine homers and 47 RBI in 252 plate appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas.