Athletics Announce Nick Kurtz Update After Absence From Lineup

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin Groe | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 2:15 PM ET

First baseman Nick Kurtz is in his first season with the Athletics after making his debut in late April.

The 22-year-old rookie sensation was selected fourth overall by the Athletics just over a year ago in the 2024 MLB Draft. Kurtz was called up to the major leagues quickly due to his exceptional performance in the minor leagues and his advanced offensive approach, leading to the Athletics believing in his success at the major-league level.

The left-handed slugger has rewarded that confidence with a stellar rookie campaign, establishing himself as an AL Rookie of the Year contender alongside teammate Jacob Wilson.

Over 67 games, Kurtz has posted a .309 batting average, a 1.061 OPS, 23 home runs, and 59 RBIs.

For Sunday’s series finale against the Astros, Kurtz was absent from the lineup with Gio Urshela starting in his spot at first base.

Manager Mark Kotsay said Kurtz has “been doing a lot of running lately” and is managing lower-body soreness and fatigue.

Rest day for Nick Kurtz. Kotsay said he’s been “doing a lot of running lately” and is just dealing with general soreness/fatigue with his lower half. He’s available off the bench.
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) July 27, 2025

Earlier in the series on Friday, Kurtz etched his name into the history books by becoming the first rookie in MLB history to hit four home runs in a single game.

He went deep in the second, sixth, eighth and ninth innings, also adding a single and a double that narrowly missed clearing the wall. Finishing 6-for-6 with eight RBIs and six runs scored, Kurtz tied Shawn Green’s 2002 record for total bases in a game with 19.

Although the Athletics sit at 45–62 and remain outside the playoff picture, Kurtz’s breakout season provides a potential franchise star to build around.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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