We couldn’t even make it though a half-inning without some injury turmoil in the Bronx. After fouling off a pitch in his first at-bat of the game, Brent Rooker has been removed from this afternoon’s tilt against the Yankees. He appeared to aggravate something on the swing.
Later in the game, the Athletics announced that Rooked exited with right flank discomfort.
It’s been a rough start to 2026 for Rooker, though he did notch the game-winning sac fly in Wednesday’s win over New York.
Entering play on Thursday, Rooker was slashing just .150/.250/.300 across 48 plate appearances with a 58 wRC+. It’s a small sample size, but it is jarring when you consider how consistent Rooker has been going back to the beginning of 2023. Rooker sports a 135 wRC+ in that span, and he’s one of only 10 hitters with over 100 home runs.
