Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Hits first big-league homer
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Kurtz went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 11-1 win over the Dodgers.
Kurtz stretched the Athletics' lead to 9-1 in the eighth inning with the first homer of his big-league career. Aside from a lack of power, his bat has looked major-league ready since his April 23 call-up from Triple-A Las Vegas. Kurtz is batting .281 with a .732 OPS, six RBI, six runs scored, one double and one triple over his first 17 games in the majors while handling a starting role at first base.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Exiting starting nine
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Kurtz is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Mariners.
It's Kurtz's second day off since his promotion in late April and the first time he's been out of the lineup against a right-hander. The rookie has been better so far in May (.278/.417/.389, 7:5 K:BB) after a sluggish April (.250/.240/.250, 12:0 K:BB) but is still looking for his first major-league home run. Tyler Soderstrom is handling first base Wednesday for the Athletics while Seth Brown patrols left field.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Taking seat versus lefty
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Kurtz is not in the lineup for Monday's game in Texas.
The left-handed-hitting Kurtz started each of the previous three contests when the opponent had a left-hander on the mound, but he'll begin Monday's tilt on the bench as southpaw Patrick Corbin draws the start for the Rangers. Tyler Soderstrom will shift back to first base Monday, and Miguel Andujar will draw the start in left field for the Athletics.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Big-league promotion official
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The Athletics selected Kurtz's contract from Triple-A Las Vegas, and he's starting at first base and batting seventh in his MLB debut against the Rangers on Wednesday.
Reports first surfaced Monday indicating that Kurtz was on the move to the big leagues, but the Athletics waited until they had a matchup Wednesday with a right-handed starting pitcher (Kumar Rocker) before making the 22-year-old's call-up official. Despite the brief delay in his promotion, the left-handed-hitting Kurtz is expected to be given the chance to play regularly against both right- and left-handed pitching as he begins his major-league career. In leagues where he's still available on the waiver wire, Kurtz is worthy of a look for teams in need of power production after he slashed an impressive .321/.384/.655 with seven home runs and seven doubles over 20 games with Las Vegas prior to his call-up.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Will not be platooned
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Athletics general manager David Forst said Tuesday that Kurtz will not be platooned, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
The left-handed-hitting Kurtz has batted .296/.323/.482 versus lefties this season at Triple-A Las Vegas, and the Athletics want to give their top prospect a chance to be an everyday player. Kurtz will not play Tuesday against Rangers lefty Patrick Corbin, although that's more about giving him a chance to get acclimated in the majors. It's not clear whether the Athletics will officially add Kurtz to the roster Tuesday or wait until Wednesday. Kurtz is expected to serve as the Athletics' everyday first baseman, with some starts at designated hitter likely to be mixed in.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: May not debut until Wednesday
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The Athletics could elect to wait until Wednesday to officially promote Kurtz from Triple-A Las Vegas with the team scheduled to face left-handed starter Patrick Corbin in Tuesday's game against the Rangers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Reports surfaced earlier Monday indicating that Kurtz was set to join the big club, but the 22-year-old looks like he'll end up waiting a couple more days before making his MLB debut. Kurtz earned his spot on the big-league roster after slashing .321/.385/.655 with seven home runs over 96 plate appearances with Las Vegas to begin the season.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Slated for promotion to majors
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The Athletics are set to promote Kurtz from Triple-A Las Vegas prior to Tuesday's game against the Rangers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Kurtz has slashed a robust .321/.385/.655 with seven home runs with Las Vegas this season and will make his major-league debut after racing through the minors. Kurtz is likely to split time between designated hitter and first base with Tyler Soderstrom, resulting in Brent Rooker seeing more starts in left field.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Receives Triple-A assignment
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Kurtz will begin the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, MLB.com reports.
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Kurtz impressed in spring training with the Athletics, putting up a .973 OPS with two home runs and a 5:7 K:BB. He finished his brief, 12-game pro debut at Double-A Midland and will move up a level to begin the 2025 campaign. Kurtz will be just a step away from the big leagues and has a good chance to make his major-league debut at some point this season.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Returns to action Sunday
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Kurtz (hand) went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Cubs in Cactus League play.
Kurtz returned to action for the first time since March 15, when he was removed from a game against the Rangers after being hit in the right hand by a pitch. He served as a backup designated hitter Sunday, but Kurtz could be ready to play first base when the minor-league season opens. Widely viewed as the top prospect in the Athletics' system, Kurtz was officially reassigned to minor-league camp March 10 but has continued to make occasional Cactus League appearances since that time. He's turned in an excellent spring with a .974 OPS in 31 plate appearances.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: X-rays negative on hand
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Kurtz, who was hit by a pitch on his right hand during Saturday's game against the Rangers, underwent X-rays that came back negative, Jessica Kleinschmidt of TheComeback.com reports.
Kurtz took a fastball off his hand in the seventh inning and was taken out of the game immediately. Initial imaging didn't reveal any fractures, but he'll continue to undergo tests to determine the severity of the injury.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Invited to spring training
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The Athletics have extended Kurtz an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Kurtz hit the ground running in his pro debut, slashing .368/.520/.763 with four homers in 12 games between Single-A Stockton and Double-A Midland. He then went on to mash in the Arizona Fall League as well with a 1.058 OPS in 13 contests. Kurtz, who will turn 22 in March, will likely go back to Midland to begin 2025 but could push to make his MLB debut late in the season if things go well.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Finishes 2024 on high note
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Kurtz slashed .353/.450/.608 with two home runs and a 16:9 K:BB in 60 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League.
He ended the regular season on the injured list at Double-A Midland due to a hamstring strain, but Kurtz was able to make up for lost time in the AFL and end his 2024 on a high note. Other than a general lack of athleticism and a bad body (listed at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds), Kurtz's only notable flaw is his injury history -- he missed time with random injuries at Wake Forest. However, after slashing .368/.520/.763 with four homers in 12 games split between Single-A and Double-A before dominating in the AFL, Kurtz's track record of hitting pro pitching is arguably tops in the 2024 draft class.
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Athletics' Nick Kurtz: Making jump to Double-A
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Kurtz was promoted to Double-A Midland on Monday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Kurtz will skip over High-A Lansing and jump directly to Midland after batting .400 with four home runs, 12 RBI and 11 runs scored over 25 at-bats on seven games with Single-A Stockton. The 21-year-old will look to continue his impressive early success at Double-A.
