Oakland Athletics put six players in COVID-19 injured list

Prior to their game against the Baltimore Orioles, the Oakland Athletics placed six of their players on the Major League Baseball’s COVID-19 injured list.

Impacted by the move are right-handed pitcher Lou Trivino, left-handed pitchers A.J Puk and Kirby Snead, catcher Austin Allen, infielder Jed Lowrie, and outfielder Chad Pinder.

Trivino is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA and two saves in four appearances this season. Lowrie has recorded .250 with a home run and four RBIs in 20 at-bats. Puk is 0-3 with a 2.25 ERA in three games, while Snead is 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA.

“We definitely have been faced with some challenges.” said Athletics rookie manager Mark Kotsay. “I think the way you handle those challenges enables you to get through them quicker, take it on and move forward. The game of baseball, any sport really, is a reflection of life. And so my message is always: Stay positive, optimism wins.”

The Athletics began the 2022 season by playing 10 consecutive road games, finishing 5-5 while being in the mid of a rebuild.

What it means for the A’s

Nick Allen, a 23-year-old middle infielder, is one of the players added to the A’s roster as a replacement. According to MLB Pipeline, he is the A’s No. 5 prospect. Allen has a.319 batting average and nine runs scored in 12 games in Triple-A this season. Allen, one of the league’s greatest defensive prospects, was a part of Team USA, which earned the silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Major League Baseball’s COVID-19 regulations have altered in recent years, but players put on the COVID-19 injured list still do not count as a team’s active roster.

If a club receives substantial placements on the COVID-19 IL, the team can temporarily add backup players to its main league active squad. That explains why the Oakland A’s can sign the middle infielder without having to choose his contract from Triple-A Las Vegas.

“I couldn’t be happier for the kid,” said Kotsay. “He really did get after it in Spring Training. He left an impression that he’s matured as a player. His approach at the plate was evident. He’s really focused on getting more disciplined in the strike zone and hitting more line drives. We all know he can play defense. That’s not a question.”

The A’s also added left-hander Sam Selman and infielder Christian Lopes to their roster.

Allen, the A’s third-round choice in the 2017 MLB Draft, and Lopes will be making their main league debuts in the upcoming game, while Selman has played in 59 major league games. Because there are no set amount of games a player must miss if he is put on the COVID-19 Injured List, this might be a one-time occurrence for Allen, Lopes, and Selman, or they may stay in the game for a bit longer.

Although neither Allen nor Lopes played in the Athletics’ home opener against the Orioles, it would not be shocking to see either of them make an appearance later in tonight’s game at the Oakland Coliseum.