Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) was ruled out for the rest of the season today per Athletics manager Mark Kotsay. Ruiz has been out since late May after straining his left wrist. The 25-year-old had been playing in rehab games as part of his progression back to the major league club but was pulled off his rehab assignment on July 20th. Ruiz was having a so-so season at the plate, hitting for an 87 OPS+, on par with his production in 2023. He stole just five bases in 29 games, well behind pace from his 2023 clip of 67 stolen bases in 132 games. Ruiz will have to wait until 2025 to improve his numbers. Fantasy managers that happen to still be holding onto him can cut bait for the rest of 2024. Those looking for outfield help should turn to JJ Bleday, who is hitting for a .972 OPS in August.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) played a full nine innings in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Tuesday in center field but went 0-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and three strikeouts. Ruiz could be ready to rejoin the A's big-league roster for the start of the second half of the season in Friday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels after playing a full game on defense. The 25-year-old speedster has now played in five games and received 21 plate appearances on his minor-league rehab assignment. The bigger question will be how much Ruiz will play once he's back in Oakland. After stealing a league-high 67 bases in 2023, Ruiz has hit just .200 (11-for-55) this year with two homers, eight RBI and only five stolen bases with inconsistent playing time in 29 games in 2024.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) played in another minor-league rehab game on Sunday with Single-A Stockton and went 2-for-3 with an RBI while playing seven innings in left field. Ruiz played a full game for Stockton on Friday as the designated hitter and then had the day off on Saturday. The 25-year-old has hit safely in all four of his rehab games for Stockton to this point and could come off the injured list to rejoin the big-league roster when the second half of the season starts on Friday following the All-Star break. Ruiz led all of baseball with 67 stolen bases last year, but he was hitting .200 (11-for-55) with only five steals in 29 games this year before his injury. He's obviously valuable for his speed, but the A's made it clear earlier this season that they won't guarantee Ruiz regular playing time when he's healthy.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) has performed well across his first three rehab games but is still "a ways away" from returning to the majors, according to manager Mark Kotsay. Kotsay further explained that since Ruiz was out of action for an extended period of time, he wanted to make sure he got enough at-bats and felt comfortable before returning to the majors. The 25-year-old was placed on the injured list on May 23 with a strained wrist. In his first three rehab games, he has performed quite well with a .500/.583/.750 slash line with two doubles, four RBI, and one stolen base. Ruiz could be worth a look in category leagues once he returns to the majors in the second half of the summer due to his elite speed, as he stole 67 bases in 2023.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) singled, stole a base and drove in a run in two at-bats in his first minor-league rehab game with Single-A Stockton on Tuesday night. He also walked once and struck out while playing seven innings in left field. It was Ruiz's first game action since injuring his wrist with the A's on May 22. Because of the long layoff, the 25-year-old could need a rather lengthy minor-league rehab assignment before he's an option to rejoin the big-league roster. Fantasy managers in need of speed won't have him as an option until after the All-Star break anyway, and there's no guarantee he'll see regular playing time in Oakland when he gets past his wrist injury. Ruiz was sent to the minors earlier this year and has hit just .200 (11-for-55) with five stolen bases in 29 games after leading the big leagues with 67 stolen bases in 2023.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist), who was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 23 with a left-wrist strain, has progressed to hitting off a tee in his recovery. It's good news that Ruiz is starting to resume baseball activities, but now that the calendar has flipped to July, he'll be fighting an uphill battle to complete his rehab and rejoin the major-league roster before the All-Star break in mid-July. And even when the 25-year-old speedy outfielder is ready to come off the injured list, he won't be guaranteed significant playing time in Oakland after already being optioned to the minors earlier this year. The Dominican led baseball with 67 stolen bases in 2023, but he's hitting just .200 (11-for-55) this year with two homers, eight RBI and five steals in 29 games played. Ruiz has game-changing speed, but he's not of a whole lot of use in fantasy if he's not playing regularly.

Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said on Tuesday that outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) is continuing to go through a strengthening program and is expected to begin baseball activities around 10 to 12 days after that. Ruiz sprained his wrist around a month ago and went on the injured list. He hasn't done much since then besides strengthening and isn't going to be back with the A's until July, most likely after the All-Star break in the middle of July. The 25-year-old speedster broke out in 2023 and led all of baseball with 67 stolen bases, but he's already been demoted to the minors in 2024 and is now dealing with a serious injury. In only 29 games to this point, he's hit .200 (11-for-55) with two homers, eight RBI and only five stolen bases. Ruiz won't be guaranteed regular playing time when he's fully healthy, either.

The Oakland Athletics placed outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a strained left wrist and selected the contract of outfielder Daz Cameron from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Infielder Jordan Diaz was also designated for assignment. Ruiz only made two starts in the team's last 13 games due to his injury, so they A's weren't trying to play a man short any longer. The 25-year-old speedster had a league-high 67 stolen bases in 2023 but has already been optioned to the minors once in 2024 and is currently hitting .200 (11-for-55) with two homers, eight RBI and five steals in 29 games. Ruiz has gone 2-for-19 with 10 strikeouts in May. Cameron, 27, could be an interesting option in AL-only leagues if he sees playing time. He was hitting .307 with six homers and eight steals in 41 games for Vegas before this call-up.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Texas Rangers. Ruiz was forced to exit early during Saturday's game due to a wrist issue. The young outfielder went for an MRI on Monday, which didn't reveal any significant damage. That being said, Ruiz will bat leadoff and cover left field during Monday's game. The speedster has been solid during his time in Oakland this season, so fantasy managers should make sure to get him back in their lineups.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) is going for an MRI exam on Monday on his left wrist after the way he landed on a diving catch in the outfield in Saturday's game against the Miami Marlins. Manager Mark Kotsay wouldn't say if Ruiz was unavailable for the series finale against Miami on Sunday. The 25-year-old never ended up appearing in Sunday's 12-3 loss, and there's a good chance he won't be available for the series opener on Monday against the division-rival Texas Rangers, either. How much additional time the speedster will miss will depend on the results of his MRI. Since being sent down to the minors early in the year, Ruiz has returned to hit just .229 (8-for-35) with two home runs, six RBI and three stolen bases in 15 games. As long as he's playing regularly for Oakland, he's valuable in fantasy for his wheels.

Oakland A's outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) exited Saturday's game against the Miami Marlins after injuring his wrist while diving for a hit in the sixth inning. He left the game with the trainers and was replaced by Seth Brown. Ruiz is considered day-to-day and will undergo further evaluation on his injured wrist. The 25-year-old went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI before exiting. He was starting to heat up at the plate, hitting .300 (3-for-10) with three runs, three RBI, and two stolen bases over his last five games. Brown would see an uptick in playing time if Ruiz were to miss any games. The 31-year-old is off the fantasy radar in most formats after slashing .180/.232/.281 across 31 games in 2024.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians with a right-hander on the mound. Ruiz has started just one of his four games since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, and that one start came against a left-handed pitcher. The 25-year-old speedster has gone 2-for-7 with two home runs, three RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored since returning from the minors, but the A's apparently view him only as a platoon outfielder for now on the short side against lefties. Seth Brown, JJ Bleday and Lawrence Butler are starting from left field to right field across Oakland's outfield on Friday. For his speed alone, Ruiz is probably still worth keeping stashed as a bench option in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz went yard in his first start from the leadoff spot since March in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, smashing a two-run jack in the third inning and also stealing a base. Ruiz's homer was a 412-foot two-run shot that brought Max Schuemann around to score. The A's surprisingly sent the American League's 2023 stolen base leader to the minor leagues following only three games to start the 2024 season, but Ruiz is swiftly demanding the attention of fantasy managers after tearing it up in the minors. The speedy 25-year-old center fielder is now batting .357 (5-for-14) with two taters, four RBI, five runs scored, and two swipes in just six outings in the major leagues. He'll look to stay hot during a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians beginning on Friday. Across nine career games against Cleveland, Ruiz is hitting .333 (10-for-30) with five extra-base hits, six RBI, and four pilfers.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. This seems a bit odd after Ruiz blasted a solo home run off the bench during Monday's game. It'll be JJ Bleday continuing to start in center field with Lawrence Butler and Seth Brown in the corners. Ruiz should get his chance to start everyday at some point, but a bench role certainly hurts his fantasy value right now.

After being recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day, Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz provided the team with its only offense in Monday's loss versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Ruiz only got one at-bat in the contest as he was summoned to pinch-hit for outfielder Lawrence Butler in the bottom of the eight inning, but he made the most of it with a solo home run. Ruiz was mysteriously demoted earlier in the season, but he is back with the club now and should get plenty of reps in the outfield for Oakland. Power is not a big part of his game, but you are paying for his base stealing ability that is game changing with home runs being added value. Due to his speed, he is worth rostering in most formats, but managers should keep an eye on his playing time.

Oakland Athletics infielder J.D. Davis (groin) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday, and outfielder Esteury Ruiz was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Davis exited Sunday's 7-6 win over the Washington Nationals due to a strained right groin, and he'll need to spend some time on the shelf. The 30-year-old was operating as Oakland's primary third baseman, but he's batting just .196 (10-for-51) with two solo home runs over 14 games this year. The speedy Ruiz is available off the bench for the A's on Monday and could eventually reclaim his spot as the club's everyday center fielder after a spell in the minor leagues. The 25-year-old contact hitter slashed .326/.423/.581 with three homers, eight RBI, and seven stolen bases across 51 plate appearances in the minors, and he led the American League with 67 swipes a year ago. Ruiz should be added in fantasy for steals where available.

The Oakland Athletics optioned outfielder Esteury Ruiz to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday to make room for first baseman Tyler Nevin on the active roster. After hitting .254/.309/.345 with a league-leading 67 stolen bases in 132 games in his first year in Oakland in 2023, Ruiz's fantasy value has taken a huge hit early on in 2024 with the demotion. The 25-year-old speedster hit leadoff in two of the team's first four games this past weekend and went 3-for-7 with an RBI and a stolen base, but for now he'll head to the minors. Right now, Ruiz is the A's fifth outfielder behind JJ Bleday, Seth Brown, Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker. Ruiz could be back with the A's quickly if one of the aforementioned outfielders gets hurt, but for now, it's hard to justify holding him in shallow-mixed leagues.

Oakland Athletics outfield Esteury Ruiz pinch-hit and went 0-for-1 in Thursday's Opening Day loss versus the Cleveland Guardians. Ruiz came on for outfielder Lawrence Butler in the bottom of the eighth and popped out. Ruiz was a managers special in the speed department entering this spring, but really struggled in the Cactus League, while Butler was red-hot and earned not only an Opening Day roster spot, but also the start. Ruiz can be a difference maker in the speed department for managers, but that's dependent on his playing time and right now it looks like he is part of a platoon with the A's outfielders. Managers shouldn't give up on Ruiz yet, but may have to look other places for consistent speed on an everyday basis.

MLB.com's Martin Gallegos doesn't have outfielder Esteury Ruiz included in his projected Opening Day lineup, although he writes that the speedy outfielder should get plenty of at-bats this year. Instead, Gallegos has Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday and Seth Brown starting from left to right across the outfield. Bleday figures to start the year as the starter in center field for the A's, at least against right-handed pitching, which is a major knock to Ruiz's fantasy value for those seeking stolen bases. As a result, fantasy managers should expect fewer counting stats for the 25-year-old Dominican outfielder, but his elite speed is still worth chasing in mixed leagues. In his first year in Oakland in 2023, Ruiz hit .254 (114-for-449) with a league-leading 67 swipes in 132 games played.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz swiped 67 bags in 2023, but has yet to attempt a steal over his first eight Cactus League contests. Despite that, he's hitting a healthy .294 with one homer, one RBI and three runs. Ruiz is one of the few attractive A's players from a fantasy perspective and managers shouldn't be concerned with his lack of base stealing with him likely keeping him legs ready for the games that matter most. Ruiz is entrenched as an everyday player for Oakland and his steals alone make him worth drafting in all formats with anything else being a bonus.