Injured A's Outfielder Shares Update on His Status for Spring

This led to a lot of speculation as to whether he'd be ready to go when Spring Training begins next year, and there just wasn't much of an update that could be provided until the recovery process had started. Now, four weeks later, Butler has provided an update himself.

With A's MLB.com beat writer Martín Gallegos helping out with coverage of the World Series and Butler in Los Angeles for games three and four as a special host for social media events, the two ran into each other.

According to Gallegos, he was "moving around well and feeling good post-knee surgery. Said he'll be fully ready for Spring Training."

That's huge news for the A's, but we should also mention that we don't know if this is something that he was told by a doctor, or more so what he's feeling in the moment. In 2024 we had a minor-leaguer tell us a week after getting hit on the hand that they'd be back out there next week. They ended up missing nearly two months.

Athletics on SI reached out to the Athletics to check if this is the official report on Butler, and a spokesperson for the club said that there is "no official word on Lawrence at this time."

If Butler is back and ready to go in February, that could have a big impact on the team's offseason plans, as the right fielder is a big piece of the club on both sides of the ball. Even in a down year where he sat against left-handers at times, he ended up putting together a 20-20 season for the first time in A's history since Coco Crisp in 2013.

In addition to putting up a 20-20 year, he was also a solid defender, putting up +3 Outs Above Average (OAA) in right this past season. That ranked eighth among all right fielders, and was one-third of the A's terrific defensive outfield.

The club has a somewhat crowded outfield mix with Tyler Soderstrom and Denzel Clarke planted in left and center, plus Butler in right, presumably as an everyday player heading into 2026.

On top of that starting trio, they also have veteran JJ Bleday and rookies Carlos Cortes and Colby Thomas in the mix as well. Thomas and Cortes platooned a bit more down the stretch, but showed some of what they're capable of, too. Cortes spoke to us about his process as the season wound down.

With Butler in the mix at the beginning of the year, the group feels a bit crowded, which could lead to some moves being made to clear up some space, or at least that being an option on the table for the front office to consider.