Aug 8, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Athletics outfielder Carlos Cortes (26) looks on before a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Key Slugger Pulled From A's Lineup Against Cincinnati Reds

Originally posted on Oakland Athletics on SI
By Jason Burke | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 9:08 PM ET

The Athletics and Cincinnati Reds open up a three-game set tonight in West Sacramento, but the A's will be without a key piece of their offense on Friday night.

After the original lineup was posted, the A's made an adjustment, pulling left fielder Tyler Soderstrom from the starting nine, with what MLB.com's Martín Gallegos is reporting to be groin tightness that he felt after his pinch-hit appearance on Wednesday.

Soderstrom is also listed as day-to-day with this injury, and there was no word if he'd be available off the bench as a pinch-hitter for tonight's game.

After starting the season as the team's first baseman and getting off to a tremendous start to the 2025 campaign, Soderstrom was moved to left field—a position he'd never played at any level. While he underwent some struggles defensively early on, he's proven to be more than capable in the outfield.

According to Baseball Savant's defensive metric, Outs Above Average (OAA), he's been an above average defender with a +2 OAA. A's manager Mark Kotsay has spoken a few times this season about the athleticism that they've seen from him in the outfield, and has mentioned Soderstrom as a core player for this club, given that he plays every day and is a steady presence in the lineup.

Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

2025 has been Soderstrom's breakout season. While he made his MLB debut in 2023, he'd played in just 106 games in the big leagues combined over the past two seasons, so this has been the 23-year-old's first full season in The Show, and he's shown out.

Heading into Friday's game, the lefty bat is hitting .275 with a .346 OBP, adding 24 home runs and a team-high 88 RBI. The key for him has been going to the opposite field when presented with an RBI opportunity, and it's certainly helped him collect some extra hits and drive in some runs.

With Soderstrom out of the lineup on Friday night against Reds righty Brady Singer, the A's will be sending 28-year-old rookie Carlos Cortes into left, batting eighth. Cortes hasn't been in the starting lineup much this month, generally coming in as a pinch-hitter where has gone 2-for-5 (.400) with his first career home run and three RBI.

Cortes has been tremendous in his role with the club, which has primarily been in a bench spot. Since coming up towards the end of July, the lefty has gone 20-for-64 (.313) with an .812 OPS. That's not bad for someone that had never played in the big leagues before this season and was signed to a minor-league deal by the A's last offseason.

This article first appeared on Oakland Athletics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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