The Athletics placed infielder Kevin Smith on the 10-day injured list due to a back strain, with the placement retroactive to June 16. The club also announced that it has selected the contract of utilityman Tyler Wade from Triple-A, so Wade will be taking Smith’s spot on the active roster.
This is the second time that the A’s have selected Wade’s contract, as the 28-year-old was previously brought up for a 10-game stretch in April that saw Wade delivered only one hit over 16 plate appearances. Wade was designated for assignment and could’ve rejected his outright assignment to Triple-A given that it wasn’t the first time he’d been outrighted, but he instead opted to remain with the A’s rather than test free agency.
A veteran of seven MLB seasons, Wade’s versatility has been his calling card, and he’ll provide the A’s with some depth at multiple positions. Smith has mostly played shortstop this season with a good chunk of time at third base, and the left-handed hitting Wade is perhaps a bit more of a natural platoon complement at both positions since Jonah Bride and Aledmys Diaz are right-handed hitters.
Like many hitters on Oakland’s team, it has been a tough year for Smith, who is batting .191/.216/.330 over 102 PA. Smith has been optioned back and forth from Triple-A twice already this season, and he’ll now be sidelined altogether while he recovers from his bad back.
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