Athletics Reinstate Denzel Clarke From 60-Day IL

The Athletics announced today that they have reinstated outfielder Denzel Clarke from the 60-day injured list and recalled right-hander Yunior Tur. Those will be the club’s two additions with rosters expanding from 26 to 28 today. To open a 40-man spot for Clarke, infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

It has been an injury-marred season for Clarke. A bone bruise in his right foot sent him to the IL in April. He began a rehab assignment a few weeks later but suffered a significant hamstring strain while on that rehab assignment. That strain was expected to keep him out beyond the All-Star break, which has indeed come to pass as he is only now returning. Prior to the injury odyssey, he only appeared in 22 games for the A’s this season.

Clarke is a tremendous defender but hasn’t hit in the majors yet. In 219 trips to the plate between last year and this year, he has a 4.6% walk rate and 38.8% strikeout rate, both awful figures. That has led to a .214/.262/.323 line. But in 544 innings in center field, he has been credited with seven Defensive Runs Saved and 14 Outs Above Average.

In his absence, the A’s have had Henry Bolte in center field. Bolte also has good grades on the grass, with 4 DRS and 3 OAA in 744 innings. His .269/.343/.368 line is a bit below league average but is much better than Clarke’s offense. If the A’s stick with Bolte out there, Clarke may be relegated to a role as a bench outfielder and pinch runner.

As for Kuroda-Grauer, he hit the 10-day IL on July 21 after fouling a ball off himself, which led to a ruptured testicle and surgery to address that grisly injury. As of a week ago, he had only begun light activities, per Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. His exact timeline is unclear but it doesn’t appear as though he has a great chance to get back on the field this year.