This is one outlet's own report from Newsweek — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
A's' Nick Kurtz Injury Status Remains Unclear Following Early Exit
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Athletics All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz exited Wednesday's contest against the Boston Red Sox after the first inning after a pitch hit him in the forearm.
Kurtz spent several minutes agonizing over the injury before remaining in the game for the rest of the half-inning, though came out for veteran infielder Jeff McNeil to kick off the second. The 2025 Silver Slugger underwent X-rays following the game, though manager Mark Kotsay said they weren't conclusive and that the first baseman would undergo further testing Thursday.
“We’re going to have an MRI done in the morning,” Kotsay said. “We’ll have a better idea of what exactly is going on. The X-ray is kind of unclear right now. We’re hoping for the best.”
Kurtz just returned from the injured list on Saturday following a capsule sprain in his right thumb, and has struggled since his return. Through his four games prior to Wednesday, Kurtz recorded just one hit through 12 at-bats—though that hit was a three-run homer against the Minnesota Twins.
He has been invaluable to the A's throughout the season. Their best player by far, Kurtz has a team-leading .890 OPS through 97 games, hitting 21 homers with 69 RBIs over the course of the year.
The 23-year-old broke onto the scene as a rookie last season, hitting 36 bombs with 86 RBIs and an OPS north of 1.000 as he cruised to a unanimous AL Rookie of the Year selection, beating out teammate Jacob Wilson and Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony.
The A's used a number of players to plug the hole Kurtz left during his last stint on the injured list, throwing veterans like McNeil or Joey Meneses — who returned to Triple-A Las Vegas after clearing waivers — into his place.
McNeil is likely to get the occasional run at first base, but rookie corner infielder Tommy White is more likely take the lion's share of reps. The A's called White to the big leagues July 17, and the 23-year-old has played in 11 games since then. He's yet to log a homer or RBI, but has been solid at the plate so far, batting .318 with a .712 OPS and two four-hit games to his name.
The Athletics will hope to avoid that situation though, as a second IL stint for their superstar would spell disaster for the remainder of the season. They fell well out of contention during Kurtz's last stint on the injured list, and would likely sink to the bottom of the division if he were to miss another extended period of time.
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.
