Jacob Wilson Returns to Athletics Roster to Soften Brent Rooker's Sudden Injury Blow

The A's will be getting their franchise shortstop back off the IL before their series against the Rockies.

Apr 18, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) jogs around the bases after hitting a solo home run during the second inning against the Chicago White Sox at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images

The A's will be getting some help offensively for their series in Las Vegas, as star shortstop Jacob Wilson is getting activated off the injured list.

In the past week, the team has gotten both Max Muncy, and now Jacob Wilson off the injured list, which is great for their offense. Unfortunately, the A's did lose one piece of their offense in these roster moves, as their designated hitter, Brent Rooker, is heading to the injured list.

May 25, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker (25) walks to the dugout after striking out during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images

Brent Rooker was just starting to heat up for this A's offense. He had been sitting out the last few days with a small injury, but he will be out for a few weeks now.

The A's had a tough roster decision to make with Jacob Wilson returning. I had eliminated it down to Alika Williams, Lawrence Butler, and Jeff McNeil to be removed from the current roster to make space. That would've been a super tough decision to make, but Rooker's injury at least made that decision a little bit easier.

Brent Rooker to the Injured List

May 16, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker (25) watches the flight of his home run against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Brent Rooker will likely be out for over a week with a bruise in his knee. This will buy time for the A's to make the decision on sending down someone like Lawrence Butler. If Butler keeps struggling, when Rooker returns, they could send him down to Triple-A to get his confidence back.

His clutch home run against the Brewers in the Las Vegas series should have given him a little bit of confidence, but we don't know how long it'll last.

Athletics Place Brent Rooker On IL, Reinstate Jacob Wilson https://t.co/BGhqVYgP4o pic.twitter.com/bZXAttszv7

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) June 12, 2026

Rooker was batting .240 in his last 7 games, but was coming off a rough few weeks of play, he'll be sidelined.

An injury this small shouldn't require a rehab assignment, but maybe they will have him make a few starts there before he returns to the A's lineup.

A's Offense With Wilson Back

May 7, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) runs the bases after hitting a two RBI home run during the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The A's offense has been top 10 in all of baseball in terms of batting average. This is very crazy considering they've been without their star shortstop, Jacob Wilson. He was tied for the second-highest batting average in all of baseball last season.

Only the Yankees' Aaron Judge had a higher batting average than Wilson last season.

So good to see Jacob Wilson back in the lineup. 🙌 #Athletics pic.twitter.com/AsIGj2ZpLq

— Uprooted (@uprootedoakland) June 13, 2026

Even without Wilson, the A's lineup has kept the team right around .500 baseball, and hopefully, with a chance to play playoff baseball come October.

He'll rejoin the stacked lineup with Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Carlos Cortes, and others. It's going to be really fun to see Jacob Wilson back in the heart of that A's lineup.