The Oakland Athletics, the worst team in baseball this season, got some positive health news this week on speedster Esteury Ruiz and top pitching prospect Mason Miller.
First, Ruiz appears close to making his return to the lineup.
The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:
Ruiz (shoulder) will participate in batting practice and throwing Thursday with Triple-A Las Vegas before officially beginning his rehab assignment with the Aviators on Friday, the Associated Press reports.
ANALYSIS
This follows a Tuesday report that Ruiz was likely to begin a rehab assignment by this weekend. The more precise timeline provided Wednesday is encouraging news, as it potentially puts Ruiz on track to be back with the Athletics to open August.
While the A's are a woeful 28-76, Ruiz is an exciting watch and an intriguing part of the team's future.
Ruiz is one of the most dynamic baserunning threats in the entire sport. He's got 43 steals, which is second-most in baseball despite not playing since early June.
The 24-year-old is in his second year in the big leagues after debuting in 2022 with the San Diego Padres. He was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022 and then was dealt to the A's this past offseason.
In addition to his running prowess, he's also handled the bat as well. He's hitting .257 with 1 homer and 35 RBI in 334 at-bats.
As for Miller:
Miller (elbow) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.
ANALYSIS
Miller's bullpen comes in the wake of an all-fastballs flat-ground session Saturday that the right-hander apparently emerged healthy from. The fact Miller was able to throw off a mound for the first time since being placed on the injured list May 11 is certainly encouraging, and per the team's official site, manager Mark Kotsay confirmed the 24-year-old will complete at least one more bullpen session before throwing live batting practice.
It's too early to tell if Miller will be back this season, and since he's the prize of the pitching side of the A's farm system, they'll assuredly be careful with him.
The 24-year-old Miller was a third-round pick of the A's back in the 2021 draft out of Gardner-Webb. He made his debut on April 19. He's 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA and has struck out 22 batters in 21.1 innings.
The Athletics visit the Colorado Rockies on Friday. First pitch is 8:40 p.m. ET.
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