Athletics Recall Carlos Cortes For MLB Debut

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The Athletics announced today that both outfielder  and infielder have been placed on the 10-day injured list. Outfielders  and  were recalled as the corresponding moves. No information was provided about the injuries or expected  Alex Call Jersey absences. According to the teams MLB.com , Clarke has a right adductor strain and Muncy a right hand fracture.  Cortes, 28, gets the call to the majors for the first time and will be making his major league debut as soon as hes put into a game. Just last week, the As selected his contract to the 40-man but immediately optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas. That suggested Cortes likely had an opt-out in his deal, which prompted the As to give him a roster spot. They didnt immediately have a big league opportunity for him but didnt want him to get away.  Its been a long road for Cortes, who was drafted by the Mets back in 2018. He climbed to Triple-A with that club but didnt hit much at that level. At the end of the 2024 season, he still didnt have a roster spot with the Mets and qualified for minor league free agency.  He then landed a minor league deal with the As, which has turned into a huge win for everyone. In 71 Triple-A contests, he has stepped to the plate 314 times. He has hit 17 home runs. His 13.1% walk rate and 14.6% strikeout rate are both strong figures. The Aviators play in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but Cortess offense is still 39% above league average, according to wRC+. Understandably, the As didnt want a guy with that kind of production to slip through their fingers.  Cortes has a bit of infield experience and some time in center field, but hes only been a corner outfield guy in recent years. Some websites list him as a switch-thrower, though thats not really relevant anymore. He naturally throws left-handed but would throw from the right side when playing second base several years ago. He hasnt been at the keystone since 2019.  played center field last night due to Clarkes injury and hes back in there tonight, so perhaps hell stay there for a while. If so, that would leave two corner spots for  ,  , Thomas and Cortes, with designated hitter  chipping in on occasion. Andujar is an impending free agent and could be moved before the month is over. Soderstrom would be a more surprising trade but he has been in a few rumors. Even if just Andujar is moved, that would further open the path for Cortes to get some major league hacks down the stretch.  Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images  Yadiel Hernandez Jersey