Heading into the series finale in Sutter Health Park against the Los Angeles Angels, the A’s elected to make a slew of roster moves before their off-day.
The team elected to designate right-hander Scott Barlow for assignment. The veteran joined the organization over the offseason on a one-year deal. He was very reliable at the beginning of the season, but has looked rough recently, and the club has acted on it.
To make space on the team’s 40-man roster, the A’s have transitioned their ace, Luis Severino, to the 60-day Injured List. Following his start against the Yankees a few weeks ago, the team placed him on the IL, and now he’ll be out even longer than we expected.
The team also optioned infielder Alika Williams to Triple-A Las Vegas, and he won’t have to go anywhere, as the Aviators will be playing at Sutter Health Park to take on the Sacramento River Cats starting on Tuesday. Williams had been super hot over the last week or two, but will look to get everyday time in Triple-A.
To fill the spots left by Barlow and Williams, the team purchased the contracts of Joey Meneses and Matt Krook. Both have experience at the big league level, and Krook has pitched for the A’s.
Both Krook and Meneses both helped the Las Vegas Aviators become first-half champions in the PCL on Saturday night, and joined and contributed to the big league team the next day.
Matt Krook Joins a Cold Bullpen
During and before the A’s series in Las Vegas, the team’s bullpen had actually been pitching pretty well. Some recent struggles, however, leave their bullpen looking pretty rough.
Barlow was a big contributor to the recent bullpen blunders, but he hasn’t been the only issue. Hogan Harris, who’s been Mark Kotsay’s go-to southpaw, has an ERA of nine in his last seven appearances, after allowing three earned in 0.1 innings in the series finale.
Another one of Kotsay’s most trusted arms, Justin Sterner, holds a 7.11 ERA in his last seven appearances. When two of your most reliable arms are this cold, it’s going to be tough to continue holding onto wins.
Krook has pitched 3.1 innings for the A’s this season and surrendered two earned runs. He held a 5.40 ERA, and currently holds a 16.20 career ERA heading into his 2026 campaign in the big leagues.
In his first appearance of the season on Sunday, he’d pitch a clean inning. One walk, no hits, and no runs.
What To Expect From Joey Meneses
Meneses has been doing an awesome job at the Triple-A level, where he led the PCL in RBI’s, and was a huge reason for the Aviators’ first-half success.
The only issue with Meneses’ bat joining the A’s roster is the simple fact that he might not have a spot in the lineup. With Nick Kurtz needing to be the everyday first baseman for good reason, Meneses might be a DH when he plays, or fills in every now and then at first base.
Because he adds no true positional value to the A’s, his time with the team might not last very long. Once Brent Rooker eventually returns from the IL, we might see Meneses head right back to the everyday lineup for the Las Vegas Aviators.
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