Oakland Athletics Reinstate Zack Gelof, Call Up Brady Basso For MLB Debut

Promising young second baseman Zack Gelof is set to rejoin a red-hot Oakland Athletics lineup, while pitching prospect Brady Basso has been added to the MLB roster for the first time.

Apr 22, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman Zack Gelof (20) reacts after hitting a run home run against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Athletics have reinstated second baseman Zack Gelof from the 10-day injured list and recalled left-handed pitcher Brady Basso from Double-A Midland, the team announced Tuesday.

To make room on the active roster for Gelof and Basso, the A's optioned left-handed pitcher Easton Lucas and outfielder Lawrence Butler to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Gelof has been out since April 24 with a left oblique strain. Before that, he had spent every inning of Oakland's first 24 regular season games at second base.

The 24-year-old infielder was batting .196 with three home runs, seven RBI, four stolen bases, a .597 OPS and 0.5 WAR prior to his injury.

Now, Gelof is returning to a lineup that leads the league in runs, home runs, RBI and OPS since April 28. There is a solid chance that Gelof can add to those numbers, considering the former top prospect hit .267 with 14 home runs, 32 RBI, 14 stolen bases, an .840 OPS and a 2.6 WAR in 69 games as a rookie last year.

Basso has served as a starting pitcher in 24 of his 27 minor league appearances post-Tommy John surgery. He is not yet slated to join the Athletics' rotation, however.

As for Basso, the southpaw is set to make his MLB debut if or when he takes the mound Tuesday against the Houston Astros.

Basso was ranked as the No. 21 prospect in MLB Pipeline's most recent update. Although he is only the No. 9 pitcher in the Athletics' farm system, Basso is the organization's top-ranked lefty.

Oakland selected Basso in the 16th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma State. COVID-19 cost him 2020, though, and he wound up undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2021.

Basso then missed all of 2022 and pitched just 63.1 innings in 2023.

The 26-year-old lefty joined the Athletics for Spring Training in 2024, allowing just one hit, one walk and no runs in 4.0 innings of work. He opened the regular season with the Double-A Midland RockHounds, where he went 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA, 0.987 WHIP and 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

Basso has served as a starting pitcher in 24 of his 27 minor league appearances post-Tommy John surgery. He is not yet slated to join the Athletics' rotation, however, so he will instead be available out of the bullpen to open his major league career.

First pitch between the A's and Astros on Tuesday is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. ET at Minute Maid Park.

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