Sports
A's DH Brent Rooker needs season-ending knee surgery
May 19, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker (25) is congratulated in the dugout after a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Pushing for their first postseason appearance since 2020, the Athletics lost their leader and unofficial captain as manager Mark Kotsay announced on Wednesday that two-time All-Star Brent Rooker will undergo season-ending knee surgery.
Kotsay said that the 31-year-old designated hitter will have a procedure to address a cartilage tear in his left knee at a later date.
“This is a big blow,” Kotsay said. “It’s a middle-of-the-order bat. It’s a guy that produced for us offensively for the last three seasons with 30-plus homers. In terms of replacing Rook, there’s not one guy that is going to come in here and step in with that type of production. We’ll do our best to fill that void and make the best of the situation.”
Injuries this season have taken a toll on Rooker, who entered 2026 with 99 home runs over the previous three seasons, including a career-high 39 in 2024, when he also drove in a career-high 112 runs.
In April, he sustained a strained right oblique that kept him out for 15 games. Upon returning April 25, Rooker hit just .216 with a .709 OPS and eight homers in 36 games before the knee issue surfaced, sidelining him since the June 8 game. A cortisone shot on June 10 did not do the trick.
“There’s not one instance of the injury,” Kotsay said. “This could have been something that just over time continued to deteriorate. The cartilage in itself caused that bone bruise. That’s from a lack of cartilage in the knee. We tried the conservative measure of doing the injection. Obviously, with the baseball activity increasing, it just continued to be an issue.”
Rooker ends his season hitting just .200 with a .670 OPS, 10 home runs and 29 RBIs in 48 games.
The A’s will also miss Rooker’s presence and leadership, especially for the younger players who often turn to him for hitting tips. The slugger will not join the team on the road, but he is expected to be present and available to offer his expertise at home games.
“In terms of the leadership, that’s not going to change,” Kotsay said. “He’s still going to be a part of the group on a daily basis. When he has the surgery, he’ll be rehabbing here with the team so he can still provide that leadership.”
Joey Meneses, who was thriving at Triple-A Las Vegas before a recent call-up, is among the players likely to fill the DH spot.
Rooker began his major league career in 2020 with the Minnesota Twins, who selected him with the 35th overall pick in the 2017 draft. In 573 games with the Twins, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals and Athletics, Rooker is a .254 hitter with an .815 OPS, 119 home runs and 322 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Six-run first propels Marlins to runaway defeat of A's
Jul 3, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Miami Marlins first baseman Kyle Stowers (28) acknowledges the dugout while running the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images Heriberto Hernandez hit a three-run homer and Jakob Marsee added a solo shot during a six-run first inning to help the Miami Marlins post a 12-5 victory over the Athletics on Friday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
Kyle Stowers went 4-for-5 with two homers, three RBIs and three runs for the Marlins, who halted a two-game slide. Owen Caissie added a solo shot as Miami matched its season high with five homers.
Major league batting leader Otto Lopez had two hits to raise his average to .337 and Liam Hicks scored three times for the Marlins.
Nick Kurtz hit a two-run homer and Jeff McNeil had a three-run double for the Athletics, who lost for the ninth time in 12 games.
The Athletics’ Jack Perkins (2-4) was torched for seven runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. He matched his career high of eight strikeouts and walked four.
Lake Bachar (1-0) retired six straight batters over the seventh and eighth innings and was credited with the victory for the Marlins. He was one of five relievers who combined to allow just two hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Miami starter Tyler Phillips gave up five runs and seven hits over 3 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two.
Hicks, Stowers and Lopez opened the game with singles off Perkins and Xavier Edwards walked to force in the first run. Stowers then scored on a passed ball by A’s catcher Shea Langeliers to make it 2-0.
Hernandez then swatted a three-run blast to center to make it 5-0. Perkins retired the next two batters before Marsee drilled a homer to right to cap the six-run explosion.
Miami tacked on another run in the second on a sacrifice fly by Edwards.
The Athletics displayed life in the bottom of the third as Alika Williams doubled and Kurtz slugged a mammoth 457-foot, two-run homer to center, his 20th of the season.
The A’s loaded the bases in the fourth on singles by Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Carlos Cortes and a walk to Henry Bolte. McNeil followed with a bases-clearing two-bagger into the gap in left-center to pull the Athletics within 7-5.
Stowers led off the sixth with his first homer, a shot to right off Justin Sterner. In the eighth, Hicks drew a one-out walk before Stowers hit a two-run blast to right-center off Mason Barnett to give the Marlins a 10-5 lead.
Hernandez singled to lead off the ninth against Barnett. One out later, Caissie hit a two-run homer to left-center to make it a seven-run margin.
–Field Media Level
Sports
Four-run, 11th-inning rally sends Brewers past Diamondbacks
Jul 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell (right) celebrates with teammate Cooper Pratt after hitting a two run home run in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Brice Turang hit a two-run single in a four-run 11th inning to help the Milwaukee Brewers earn a 7-4 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game series on Friday in Phoenix.
Turang had three hits and also a run, Jake Bauers collected three hits, an RBI and a run, and Garrett Mitchell hit a two-run homer for the Brewers, who have won four of five.
Milwaukee starter Kyle Harrison has won seven straight decisions, but he got a third straight no-decision after letting a 3-0 lead slip away. The left-hander was tagged for three runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking one on 72 pitches.
Grant Anderson (2-3) pitched the final two innings for the Brewers, yielding just an unearned run.
Ildemaro Vargas had three hits and an RBI, Gabriel Moreno produced two hits, an RBI and a run, and Nolan Arenado contributed a two-run double for Arizona, which has lost two in a row.
Diamondbacks rookie Jose Cabrera went 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits while striking out three and walking three.
After neither team scored in the 10th, Ryan Thompson (3-2) hit Cooper Pratt with a pitch to start the 11th.
A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up before Christian Yelich was walked intentionally to load the bases. Jackson Chourio hit a swinging bunt that was fielded by Thompson, but his throw home was wide. Two runs scored on the play for a 5-3 lead.
Turang followed with an opposite-field two-run single to left.
Vargas hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th to make it 7-4.
After Bauers led off the second with a single, Mitchell lifted the first pitch he saw from Cabrera to deep center and off a fan above the home run barrier. The play was briefly reviewed for fan interference, but the home run was confirmed, giving the Brewers a 2-0 lead.
Turang, William Contreras and Bauers strung together three consecutive one-out singles in the third to extend the lead to 3-0.
Mitchell followed with a long fly ball to left that appeared destined for the seats, but Lourdes Gurriel Jr. leaped and snared the ball high above the wall to rob him of a three-run homer.
Corbin Carroll lined a single to right with two outs in the bottom of the third to put runners on the corners for Moreno, who grounded an opposite-field single through the right side to cut the deficit to 3-1.
After a walk loaded the bases, Arenado pulled a 2-2 pitch off the base of the wall down the left field line for a two-run double, tying the score 3-3. That ended the night for Harrison, who threw 38 pitches in the inning.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Athletics C Shea Langeliers exits due to left thumb contusion
Jun 15, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) catches a foul ball against the Pittsburg Pirates during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers sustained a left thumb contusion during the team’s 12-5 loss to the Miami Marlins on Friday in West Sacramento, Calif.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay said after the contest that Langeliers underwent X-rays, adding, “We’ll evaluate him again tomorrow.”
Kotsay said the injury occurred on a passed ball in the first inning. Langeliers went to catch the pitch from Jack Perkins and it hit the thumb area of the glove and bounced away, allowing Miami to score a run.
Langeliers, who struck out in both of his at-bats, initially remained in the game but was removed for pinch hitter Jonah Heim in the bottom of the fourth.
Langeliers will also learn Saturday if he will be the starting catcher for the American League for the July 14 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. He and Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk are the AL finalists.
Langeliers is batting .264 with 20 homers and 44 RBIs in 80 games this season. He leads AL catchers in homers and hits (87).
–Field Level Media
