Athletics Provide Bleak Update on Brent Rooker

The bone bruise was Rooker's second stint on the IL this season after missing time in April with a strained right oblique. No doubt, the inability to stay healthy this year has been frustrating for Rooker, who suited up in all 162 games in 2025. The slugger will finish the 2026 season having only appeared in 48 games, posting a slash line of .200/.281/.389 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI. His .670 OPS is more than 140 points lower than his career average of .815.

Rooker has been the team's primary DH over the past couple of seasons and has only suited up in the outfield in 45 games since 2024. In his place, backup catcher Jonah Heim has been doing the majority of the DH work this season, but the Athletics have a few other candidates. Slugging catcher Shea Langeliers could take some games at DH to provide him with rest, while Tyler Soderstrom is another candidate when he returns from the IL.

As for Rooker's future, he should be back with the Athletics in 2027. Rooker is in the second year of the five-year extension he signed with the team in January 2025. The deal, worth a total of $60 million, will run through the 2029 season and is fully guaranteed.

The Athletics are still in the hunt for the MLB postseason, although they have cooled off in recent weeks. They currently sit in fourth place in the AL West and are 3.5 games back of both the division-leading Texas Rangers and the final AL Wild Card spot. The Athletics are wrapping up a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday and will stay at home in Sacramento to open a series against the red-hot Miami Marlins on Friday.