Oakland Athletics

Oakland Athletics pitcher Chris Bassitt will reportedly undergo surgery after being hit in the face by a line drive during Tuesday's game against the Chicago White Sox. 

Per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, Bassitt's surgery is expected to take place within three to five days after the swelling goes down. 

Bassitt tweeted a message thanking the A's and White Sox, as well as the medical professionals and fans who have offered their support:

A's trainer Nick Paparesta told reporters on Wednesday that Aug. 24 is the target date for Bassitt to undergo surgery on his cheekbones, and the right-hander could potentially return to physical activity 10 days after the procedure. 

Paparesta did note the Athletics will take things "week-to-week" with Bassitt's recovery and return.

ESPN's Jeff Passan added that there was no damage to Bassitt's eye.

The injury occurred in the bottom of the second inning when Brian Goodwin hit a comebacker that caromed off the side of Bassitt's head. Jason Owens of Yahoo Sports noted the ball came off Goodwin's bat at 100.1 mph. 

Bassitt fell to the ground when Oakland's medical staff came out. He remained on the ground for several minutes before being carted off the field.. 

The A's public relations staff announced on Twitter that Bassitt was "conscious and aware" as he was being transported to the hospital. 

Oakland manager Bob Melvin told reporters after the game that the medical staff believes the ball hit Bassitt below the eye. 

"He's got some cuts and used some stitches," Melvin added. "He's in a scan and we'll know about potential fractures tomorrow or later tonight.”

Bassitt began his professional career with the White Sox. He made his MLB debut for Chicago in 2014 before being traded to Oakland in December 2014. 

The 32-year-old leads the American League with 12 wins and 151 innings pitched this season.     

Oakland Athletics pitcher Chris Bassitt was removed in the second inning of Tuesday's start at the Chicago White Sox after taking a line drive to the head off the bat of Brian Goodwin. 

Bassitt was falling off the mound while following through on a pitch and was unable to protect himself as Goodwin sent the ball barreling 100.1 miles per hour back at him. The pitcher immediately crumpled to ground as trainers ran to check on him. 

Ultimately, Bassitt was able to get to his feet and climb onto the medical cart. 

The 32-year-old has been one of the most impressive pitchers for an Oakland team contending for an American League West title. Through 24 starts, the righty is 12-3 with a 3.06 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 153 strikeouts while walking only 35. 

He was replaced by Burch Smith with the bases loaded and no one out. The first batter he faced, Andrew Vaughn, hit a two-run single. Smith then allowed a three-run homer to Jake Lamb as the Sox took a 5-0 lead. 

Bassitt was making a return to the South Side where he began his career. Chicago selected him in the 16th round of the 2011 draft, and he started five games for the Sox in 2014.

The White Sox won, 9-0. 

Oakland Athletics right fielder Ramon Laureano has been suspended 80 games without pay after violating Major League Baseball's performance-enhancing drug policy by testing positive for nandrolone.

Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post relayed Major League Baseball's statement, and the A's released their own remarks (h/t Martin Gallegos of MLB.com): "The A's were disappointed to learn of this suspension. We fully support MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and we will welcome Ramón back after the discipline has been served."

Laureano was hitting .246 (.760 OPS) with 14 home runs and 39 RBI for the 61-48 A's, who are second in the American League West.

Laureano released a statement through the MLB Players Association (h/t Jessica Kleinschmidt of NBC Sports Bay Area) and denied knowingly taking nandrolone, an anabolic steroid:

Per MLB's policy, a player's first violation results in an 80-game suspension. A second violation prompts a full-season suspension (162 games), and a third leads to a permanent suspension from the league.

A player can appeal only under three circumstances, per the policy: chain of custody, laboratory error and exceptional circumstances.

The A's hold the second American League wild-card spot by just one-and-a-half games over the surging New York Yankees. Oakland is four games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West.

The 27-year-old had moved from center field to right field to make way for Starling Marte, whom the A's acquired from the Miami Marlins on July 28.

Without him, Stephen Piscotty figures to play right field. The seven-year veteran is hitting .207 (.613 OPS) with five home runs and 14 RBI in 64 games.

Extended homestands are reportedly costing players on the Stockton Ports more money than they are bringing in on their bimonthly paychecks.

According to Alex Shultz of SF Gate, players on the Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics pay more in team hotel charges during two-week stretches than they bring in on those paychecks due to a number of circumstances.

While the organization covers hotel fees when the team is on the road and provides per-diem money for food, that does not happen for home games. While many minor league players typically rely on the generosity of host families to help alleviate the housing concerns, Stockton players have not been given that option this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, the Athletics offered a slightly discounted rate at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel in Stockton.

That has been where most players stay because of how expensive or difficult it is to rent an apartment for just the summer. So longer homestands mean lost money even though, as Schultz pointed out, Forbes values Athletics owner John Fisher as worth more than $3 billion.

"The cost of housing has been a significant issue for players in almost every single MLB organization this year," executive director of MiLB Advocates Harry Marino said. "We've heard from more than a few players who are taking home less than $100 for a two-week pay period once they subtract the cost of housing from their paycheck. But this situation—where players literally lost money on housing alone—takes the minor league housing crisis to an extreme. It is unacceptable and needs to be addressed."

In June, the Twitter account Advocates for Minor Leaguers noted some members of the Bowie Baysox thought about sleeping in their cars to avoid similar concerns:

The Baysox are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.

This also isn't the first concern arising from the Athletics organization, as the same account highlighted some of the lackluster meals provided to players:

The working conditions for minor leaguers has been a concern for some time at this point, and Major League Baseball and its players association may have the opportunity to address it after the current collective bargaining agreement expires prior to the 2022 campaign.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred cautioned against not taking the possibility of relocation for the Oakland Athletics seriously amid the franchise's ongoing struggle to get a new stadium in the Bay Area.

"Las Vegas is a viable alternative for a major league club, and there are other viable alternatives I have not turned the A’s loose to explore," he told reporters.

Manfred added that "thinking of this as a bluff is a mistake."

In May, the A's shared a statement from MLB in which the league expressed its "concern with the rate of progress on the A's new ballpark effort with local officials and other stakeholders in Oakland."

Team president Dave Kaval also shared an open letter to confirm that MLB "instructed the A's to begin to explore other markets while we continue to pursue the Oakland waterfront ballpark project."

The A's are attempting to see through a plan to construct a new ballpark and a combination of residential and commercial developments at Howard Terminal. The stadium, which would seat around 34,000, would be privately financed.

However, the Bay Area News Group's Shayna Rubin wrote that the amount for the entire project comes in at $12 billion. The city of Oakland would have to commit $855 million for "infrastructure improvements."

Justin Berton, a spokesperson for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, said in April the proposal "appears to request public investment at the high end for projects of this type nationwide."

Last week, city administrators provided a report in response to the Howard Terminal plan. Under the terms, the tax burden on the city would be slightly lesser, and the A's would commit to not relocating for a period of 45 years.

Athletics officials haven't been shy about pursuing a possible move to Las Vegas, with Kaval visiting the city earlier this month.

"We’re just getting so much positive feedback in Southern Nevada and Las Vegas from all the key constituents and stakeholders," he told reporters. "We’ve been very impressed with the can-do spirit and the interest in Major League Baseball here, and we remain committed to taking additional steps to see if that might be the option or the future home of the A’s."

The Oakland City Council will weigh in on the Howard Terminal stadium on July 20, and their decision could go some way toward achieving a resolution.

Oakland Athletics slugger Matt Olson announced Tuesday he would be participating in this year's Home Run Derby.

The annual event will take place on Monday, July 12, at Coors Field in Denver and broadcast on ESPN. 

The other confirmed participants are Los Angeles Angels multipositional superstar Shohei Ohtani, New York Mets reigning Derby champ Pete Alonso, Colorado Rockies slugger Trevor Story, Baltimore Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini and Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez. 

Olson, 27, is having a monster season for the Athletics, hitting .282 with 20 homers, 53 RBI, 51 runs and a .923 OPS. He was named to his first All-Star team for his efforts.

"Definitely something you dream about as a little kid, being in the All-Star Game one day," he told reporters Sunday. "It's a special moment, I think you guys know I'm kind of a win-first guy and let everything else fall into place. I do truly believe that."

"It's going to be cool to have this moment and reflect back on it," he added.

It's no surprise that he's registering major power numbers—before 2020's shortened season, he had posted three straight years with 24 or more home runs, including a career-high 36 in 2019. He's currently on pace to break that mark. 

He's also no slouch in the field, with two Gold Gloves to his name. But it's his power numbers that have made him both an All-Star and a participant in this year's Home Run Derby.

Should the Colorado Rockies move star shortstop Trevor Story ahead of the July 30 trade deadline, the Oakland Athletics may not be in the mix.

ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote the A's are "most obvious fit" but reported they "are unlikely to play in the Story market." He added Oakland may prefer to address the outfield to prepare for the stretch run.

Story is due to hit free agency after this season, and the likelihood that he'll stay in Colorado seems slim. The Rockies are fourth in the National League West at 33-47, and the trade of Nolan Arenado was emblematic of the dysfunction that's plagued the franchise for years. 

If Colorado was willing to move on from Arenado, one of the best players in team history, then it would be surprising to see the front office give Story a big contract.

Passan, however, noted the Rockies may not have a robust market for the 28-year-old. His impending free agency limits the potential suitors to teams in contention for the playoffs. The clubs with the best chance of reaching the postseason by and large don't need to make a big upgrade at shortstop.

The A's would seem to be an outlier in that regard.

They're 1.5 games back of the first-place Houston Astros in the American League West, so they tick the box as a contending team. And Oakland could use help on the left side of the infield.

Elvis Andrus has a .226/.295/.563 slash line, and he ranks 26th among qualified shortstops in WAR (minus-0.2), per FanGraphs.

Story, by comparison, is slugging .446 with nine home runs and 36 RBI. HIs .184 batting average on the road this year may lead Oakland and others to question his value away from Coors Field, though. He also has a noticeable home (.982) and road (.750) split in OPS over his career, per Baseball Reference.

Still, the non-Coors Field version of Story would be better offensively than Andrus.

Yet the Athletics appear to be out on the two-time All-Star, which raises the odds the Rockies will watch a valuable trade asset yield only a compensation pick in the offseason.

As they try to hold off the Houston Astros for the top spot in the American League West, the Oakland Athletics could look to upgrade their roster at the trade deadline by adding an All-Star shortstop. 

Per MLB.com's Jon Morosi, Oakland is among the teams that will be keeping an eye on Story's production and availability when he returns from the injured list. 

Story was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 29 with right elbow inflammation. 

Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters Tuesday that the two-time Silver Slugger winner's MRI came back clean, and they are hopeful he can be activated in time for their June 8 game against the Miami Marlins. 

Oakland currently has a one-game lead over the Astros in the AL West. The A's rank 14th in MLB with 249 runs scored, are tied for 15th in on-base percentage (.313) and are tied for 22nd in batting average (.229). 

Elvis Andrus, the A's starting shortstop, is hitting .211/.259/.269 with zero home runs and seven RBI in 175 at-bats. 

Story was off to a slow start this season prior to his elbow injury, but his .255/.322/.424 slash line would be significantly better for the A's than what Andrus has provided. The 28-year-old has been one of the best hitting shortstops in MLB with a .909 OPS over the previous three seasons. 

The Rockies figure to be sellers at the trade deadline. Their 23-34 record ranks fourth in the National League West and 10.5 games out of a playoff spot. 

Story is in the final season of a two-year contract and will be eligible for free agency this offseason. 

Two photos showing meals served to minor league players in the Oakland Athletics' farm system caught the attention of baseball Twitter on Monday as fans and observers ridiculed the offerings. 

The original tweet, posted by Advocates for Minor Leaguers, shows players being served minuscule amounts of food and calls out the A's for mistreating their employees:

A's president Dave Kaval responded on Twitter saying the offerings were served "several weeks ago" and the team has since terminated its contract with the third-party vendor. Kaval called the situation "totally unacceptable." 

This is far from the first time minor leaguers have taken to social media to highlight the poor playing and living conditions they're subjected to without ever knowing if they'll make it to the big leagues. 

In 2018, then-Yahoo Sports columnist Jeff Passan dug into the way players on the farm have tried to bring attention to their environment by looking into the Instagram account Minor League Grinders, which posts numerous examples every day. 

“That’s the big debate,” Blake McFarland, who started the account, told Passan. “We’re playing something we love to play. We’d rather be nowhere else. At the same time, changes do have to be made. All my friends who have real jobs, if you were to tell them how you live, it doesn’t relate to any other job. You’re not treated as an employee. With that being said, everyone loves playing. We play for the dream.”

Apparently for A's players, that dream included two pieces of white bread with American cheese and a slice of tomato on one day, and a rolled-up tortilla with a few peppers on another. Neither option appears too desirable. 

Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher, president Dave Kaval, vice president Billy Beane and executive Sandy Dean will reportedly make an official visit to Portland, Oregon, next month on a "fact-finding" mission, according to John Canzano of The Oregonian. 

The organization is also visiting Las Vegas this week as it considers potential relocation. 

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is rooting for the Athletics to relocate to Portland: 

It might seem a bit odd that Wilson—who professionally represents a city that was devastated by the Seattle Supersonics' relocation to Oklahoma City, where they became the Thunder—would stump for Oakland to lose its baseball team.  

But Wilson and his wife Ciara are part of an investment team trying to bring baseball to Portland, which explains his interest in the Athletics' potential relocation.

And it appears there is real interest between the city of Portland and the Athletics organization.

“PDP can confirm that we have engaged in talks with the Athletics, and plans for a visit by team officials are underway," Portland Diamond Project found Craig Cheek and managing partner Mike Barrett told Canzano in a statement Monday. “PDP will have no further comment at this time.”

Las Vegas, which recently plucked the Raiders out of Oakland, will be a formidable foe for Portland. And there is always the possibility that the Athletics will work out a deal with the city of Oakland on a new ballpark. 

Until that happens, though—and it remains a major point of contention whether cities and taxpayers actually financially benefit from investing heavily in stadium projects—the Athletics will court new locations.

"The future success of the A's depends on a new ballpark," Fisher said in a statement earlier in May. "Oakland is a great baseball town, and we will continue to pursue our waterfront ballpark project. We will also follow MLB's direction to explore other markets."