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Athletics make brutal Nick Kurtz injury move ahead of MLB All-Star Game
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- Athletics make brutal Nick Kurtz injury move ahead of MLB All-Star Game
Athletics make brutal Nick Kurtz injury move ahead of MLB All-Star Game appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Athletics will head into the All-Star break without one of their most productive hitters after placing first baseman Nick Kurtz on the 10-day injured list with a right thumb capsule strain on Saturday. The move, which is retroactive to Friday, also ends Kurtz's opportunity to make his first career All-Star appearance after he had been selected as the American League's starting first baseman.
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Kurtz earned the starting nod after Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. withdrew from the Midsummer Classic because of a back injury. However, the 23-year-old will now miss Tuesday's All-Star Game in Philadelphia after sitting out Friday's 14-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox .
The injury adds to an already difficult stretch for the A's. Kurtz exited Wednesday's game against the Detroit Tigers after just 1 1/2 innings because of an illness, though he also appeared to injure his right hand while attempting to field an errant throw from third baseman Zack Gelof during a collision with Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler near first base. He returned as the designated hitter on Thursday, finishing 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a 4-1 defeat before being held out of Friday's lineup.
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Kurtz has been one of the American League's top offensive performers this season, batting .266 with 20 home runs and 66 RBIs in 92 games while leading the majors with 76 walks. He also ranks among the league leaders in on-base percentage and RBIs. His recent production had slowed, however, as he entered Friday hitless in his previous 20 at-bats and batting .145 (8-for-55) with one home run over his last 15 games.
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The reigning American League Rookie of the Year has followed up his outstanding 2025 campaign, when he hit .290 with 36 home runs and 86 RBIs in 117 games. This is only the second injured list stint of his career after missing time in May 2025 with a strained left hip flexor.
To replace Kurtz on the active roster, the Athletics recalled catcher Brian Serven from Triple-A Las Vegas. Serven, 31, has appeared in one major league game this season, going 1-for-4, and is hitting .308 with 18 doubles, seven home runs and 41 RBIs in 55 games at Triple-A. Across parts of four MLB seasons with the A's, Colorado Rockies and Toronto Blue Jays, he owns a .188 career batting average with six home runs and 20 RBIs.
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