A's to Place Seth Brown on IL, Call up Kevin Smith

Before Sunday's finale in Tampa Bay, Martín Gallegos reported that Oakland A's outfielder Seth Brown had felt discomfort in his rib cage area after a check swing on Saturday night. After the game, Gallegos reported that Brown would be placed on the IL with an oblique injury.

The 30-year old Brown is a fan favorite, and a week ago homered off one of the best closers in baseball, Emmanuel Clase, to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth before Oakland fell in extras.

Brown started off the 2023 campaign a little slow, going 6-for-30 (,200) with one homer, two doubles, one stolen base, and two walks that bumped his OBP up to .250. Sunday's game was the first he missed all season.

While playing every day, Brown has been facing both lefties and righties, and the splits suggest that the A's could get a little more production out of left field against southpaws.

In a very small sample size, Brown is 0-for-12 with two walks, giving him a .167 on-base. Brent Rooker (R) and Conner Capel (L) will likely form a platoon in left field in Brown's absence.

While Rooker is just 1-for-9 in the early going, he has been absolutely crushing the ball. He has an average exit velocity of 99.6, which has led him to have an expected batting average of .349. Part of the reason he's batting .111 instead of .349 is that his average launch angle has been 9.1 degrees, which means ground balls or low line drives. The timing is there, but if he can add just a little bit of lift, he could be a very nice option for the A's against left-handers.

Capel is 3-for-11 this season (.273), and has a .385 on-base. The two could end up being a nice duo for the A's, albeit without as much power as Seth Brown.

To replace Brown on the roster, Gallegos said that he's hearing Kevin Smith is on his way to Baltimore to join the A's for their next series. Smith was absent from the Aviators' lineup on Sunday.

Through seven games played, Smith, playing his natural shortstop in Triple-A, has already hit five home runs. He's batting .300 with a .382 OBP and four steals on top of that.

Last season in 47 games, Smith hit .180 with a .216 OBP for the A's before being sent to Las Vegas, where he spent the rest of the season. In September, it clicked.

September: 38-for-104 (.365), .405 OBP, 11 HR, 19 rbi, 6 doubles, 2 triples

Spring: 17-for-43 (.395), .469 OBP, 2 HR, 15 rbi, 3 doubles, stolen base

First 7 games of 2023: 9-for-30 (.300), .382 OBP, 5 HR, double, 4 steals

Since September, Kevin Smith has not stopped hitting.

How he fits onto the A's roster will be interesting to see, because he's another infielder on a roster filled with infielders.

Third baseman Jace Peterson has been struggling to start the season, batting .120 with a .148 OBP through 27 plate appearances. He has also sat against a couple of southpaw starters while Aledmys Díaz has manned third, but Smith could take over that role upon his arrival. The A's have been having Smith play shortstop exclusively in Las Vegas this season, so they could do a little bit of shuffling, too.

Even while he struggled overall last season, Smith mashed left-handed pitching. He went 13-for-50 (.260) with a .296 on-base, but finished with a 115 wRC+, meaning he was 15% better than league average against southpaws.

Nick Allen is hitless this season (0-for-12), but last year he hit .276 against lefties with a .315 on-base and a 122 wRC+ (22% above league average).

Here is one scenario against left-handers: Smith at shortstop, his natural position. Nick Allen continues to start against lefties, but he slides over to second base. Smith and Allen would be a solid defensive pair up the middle. Díaz continues to play third base.

In that scenario, Tony Kemp, a lefty, is the odd-man out. Problem is, he's actually hitting lefties better than righties in the early going. He has one hit in four at-bats, but he's also drawn three walks, giving him an OBP of .571.

Another scenario could be to have Smith play third against left-handers, Allen at short, then Kemp at second.

With three straight right-handers scheduled to face the A's in Baltimore, it's tough to see the A's calling up Smith without the intent to play him. How he fits into the lineup against righties is a little less clear, and could depend on who needs a day off. Tony Kemp could slide into left field if Capel is out, and Díaz could take second with Smith at short. Or Mark Kotsay could feel that Peterson isn't a good match for a particular pitcher, and give the start to Smith at third.

While his exact role on the club isn't clear, what is clear is that Kevin Smith is not the same hitter we saw with the A's last season. He's made some adjustments, and he's looking to do damage.