Brent Rooker's Return Could Bench the A's Hottest Hitter

Brent Rooker is close to returning from an oblique strain, but Carlos Cortes has been one of the A's best hitters while filling in at his position

Apr 8, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker (25) hits a run scoring sacrifice fly in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Since Brent Rooker landed on the injured list (IL) on April 10, Carlos Cortes has been one of the A's most dangerous hitters, batting .333 with a 184 wRC+ (100 is league average) out of the DH spot, while adding four home runs and striking out just 6.7% of the time.

Brent Rooker has been out of action with an oblique strain, and that injury is always tough because an oblique can take a player out for a couple of weeks, or a couple of months.

This weekend in Arlington, Texas, A's manager Mark Kotsay made it seem as though Rooker's bat could be back in the lineup in short order.

"For Rook, he's really close. The progression has gone really well. He'll take batting practice [Friday]. He's already hit off a velo machine. There's an outside chance [his return] could be at some point this weekend, or first of next week."

In terms of a rehab stint in the minor leagues, the A's manager said that would be under discussion, but with the shorter timeframe than they were expecting him to miss, and Rooker feeling really good in his recovery, it may not be necessary since he's a DH. The implication there is that since he doesn't play the field regularly, there would be less to gain from a rehab stint.

Rooker's return is great news, but...

Apr 24, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Athletics left fielder Carlos Cortes (26) reacts as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

While there is a chance that Rooker still has to wait a few days to return to the roster officially, it sure sounds like it could be any day. Obviously getting the two-time All-Star back will be great, but he was also struggling a bit before the injury, batting .146/.245/.293 (.538 OPS) through 12 games. In fairness, a lot of the lineup wasn't hitting great at that point.

But starting on April 11, the A's offense ranks 12th in baseball with a 113 wRC+ and the team has gone 8-6 while scoring 4.71 runs per game. The offense is hot, and could get even hotter when Rooker is inserted into the heart of the order.

The one issue is that Carlos Cortes has been taking a decent amount of the at-bats in the DH spot since Rooker's injury, and he has been the second-best bat in the lineup, with that 184 wRC+. He trails just Nick Kurtz (208) in that category, while Shea Langeliers (148) ranks third. Cortes isn't just relying on singles either—he's also second on the club in home runs in this span with four.

Cortes is also walking a reasonable amount (6.7%) and striking out at that same rate, which is impressive. Essentially, he's performing the way you would want Jacob Wilson or Jeff McNeil to perform when they're hot—high contact rates with a batting average over .300 (.333 for Cortes) with some dingers.

The Cortes conundrum has simple fix

Apr 4, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) heads to the dugout after the final out of the second inning against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images

Obviously you don't want to activate Rooker to have him sit on the bench, so he'll be back in the lineup once he joins the roster. That should also slide Lawrence Butler to center more often, while Carlos Cortes goes to right field.

The odd man out in this scenario would be Zack Gelof, who has been in center in four of the five games since Denzel Clarke landed on the IL. Gelof has been solid, but he hasn't been as good as Cortes.

The other option would be to keep Gelof in center and just have Cortes play right, with Butler on the bench, since he is batting .183/.264/.280 so far this season for a 49 wRC+ across 25 games played.

This could be the strongest option, given that Gelof is finally healthy and performing relatively well in his limited exposure this season. He was the face on the scoreboard in the A's initial Las Vegas renderings, signifying that he was the face of the franchise for a brief moment. Beyond the lineup math, there is a larger case for keeping Gelof in the mix.

He's just beginning to become a part of this team once again, so why not maximize that moment for as long as it'll last?

Butler has signed his extension and isn't going anywhere, so play the hot hands in Gelof and Cortes, and have an extra lefty in Butler on the bench for the time being.