Mark Kotsay shares injury updates for Athletics' Denzel Clarke, Tyler Soderstrom
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay speaks with the media before his team's game against the Kansas City Royals on Monday at Kauffman Stadium.
Mark Kotsay shares injury updates for Athletics' Denzel Clarke, Tyler Soderstrom originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
Soderstrom, have you gotten an update on, him?
We have not.
We're waiting to hear from, from the hip specialist, that, that, we sent, the MRI to, so, nothing new to report.
Hopefully we'll have something within the next 48 hours.
You got Barnett going tonight and, obviously drafted by the Royals.
Do you, do you find maybe there's a little extra juice when a guy's facing the team that drafted him, brought him into professional baseball?
I definitely know it's on his mind, you know, wanting to go out and wanting to have a good performance.
I don't ever feel like players when you get traded have, ill feelings towards the club that trade you.
Obviously, you know, being drafted by a team and wanting to perform for them and wanting to, you know, have a long-tenured successful career is important to every player, I think.
But, when you do move on, you have to also reflect on the fact that there's another organization that's coveting you and that wants you to go out and per- you know, and, and to be a part of that group.
So, you know, Mason, he's getting his opportunity right now to be in the rotation.
He's made several, several starts for us.
You know, what we're looking for him tonight to do is to get into the game, into the fifth, hopefully.
We've had really good starts the last three nights or three days, with our starters, so if we can build on that and, get him in deeper into the game, we feel good about our chances.
Butler's, had his power stroke going the last week.
What have you, what are you seeing from him recently?
Well, the biggest adjustment for Lawrence is he's not trying to hit home runs.
I think early in the year there was a, a sense that, he wanted to be a middle-of-the-bat, middle-of-the-order bat and continually try to drive baseball out of the ballpark.
I think now he's learned that he just needs to be a good hitter, and, he's made the adjustments to shorten his stroke, you know, be more consistent, cut the strikeouts down, get on base.
His, his, his, on-base percentage is up, so we want to see that continue, throughout the rest of the season.
Denzel Clark, is he close to a rehab assignment?
Yeah, Denzel will start tomorrow in Vegas.
You know, it'll be an extended rehab assignment obviously because he's missed so much time this year.
But, excited about him getting back on the field and, and being able to play.
Is he able to play every day or...?
No, there'll be a progression to Denzel for sure, yeah.
We wouldn't throw him right into a nine-inning, role, so, there'll be a days off mixed in as well to give his body recovery time.
It'll be more like a spring training progression.
