A's Add Tony Kemp to Broadcast, Plus Other Tidbits

The Athletics have added fan favorite Tony Kemp to the television broadcast team, and he will be making his on-air debut tonight when the A's take on the Houston Astros, the team that drafted him. A fifth-round selection by Houston in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, he played in parts of four Major League seasons with the Astros from 2016–19, and with the A’s from 2020–23, as part of a nine-year Major League career.

The four-time Roberto Clemente Award nominee announced his retirement on May 15. Throughout his playing career, Kemp was known for his work off the field, including his commitment to HCP Cureblindness and Players for the Planet, and his creation of the +1 EFFECT, an initiative to inspire honest conversations about racism and social injustice.

The A's also announced that J.T. Ginn has been reinstated from the IL, and in a corresponding move, the club optioned relief pitcher Grant Holman to Triple-A Las Vegas. Ginn had previously been part of the A's rotation, but this move would seem to signify that he's going to get some time in the bullpen. The young righty has already had two quick stints on the IL this season.

Since the A's got T.J. McFarland and Michael Kelly back in the bullpen on June 5, the A's pitching staff--which still ranks No. 29 in ERA over the course of the season with a 5.48--has held a 3.25 mark as a unit. Part of that resurgence is also due to the addition of Mitch Spence in the rotation, with the righty allowing just one run across two starts.

Holman has a 5.09 ERA with the A's this season, and since his outing against the Los Angeles Angels on May 23 where he gave up five runs in 2/3 of an inning he has been a little more shaky in relief. He'd held a 0.63 heading into that contest, but has had outings where he's given up multiple runs in four of his last ten appearances.

With Holman down, Ginn presumably slots into the bullpen as another bulk arm, and could even open some games for the club, which is a role that Holman has taken on a couple of times.

Finally, A's outstanding rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson is leading the way in votes for the All Star game at his position, but it's close. Wilson has racked up 562,696 votes, while Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is right behind him with 519,984. This is the first update for the first phase of voting, which will conclude on Thursday, June 26 at 9 a.m. (PT).

Once the first phase is complete, the overall top vote getters in each league will automatically earn the starting spot at their respective positions. For the remaining positions, the top two players at each infield and designated hitter position per league, including 6 outfielders, will advance to a final ballot to determine the All-Star starters. You can vote for Jacob Wilson and the rest of the rosters in both leagues here.