WEST SACRAMENTO — On the first two pitches they saw Tuesday night, the Athletics experienced the highs and lows of baseball.
Rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson exited the series opener against the Braves at Sutter Health Park after being hit on the left wrist by a pitch — immediately after the A’s did something they hadn’t done in more than 80 years.
Right fielder Lawrence Butler hammered the first offering from Braves rookie starter Didier Fuentes off the wall in right-center field, taking advantage of a wild hop and cruising around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. It was the first leadoff inside-the-parker by an A’s hitter since Elmer Valo on June 25, 1943.
The excitement didn’t last long. The next pitch Fuentes threw, a 97.3 mph fastball, hit Wilson on the left wrist. Wilson, named the American League’s starting shortstop in next week’s All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, crouched near home plate for a few minutes while testing his wrist with a trainer, then headed for the dugout. Max Schuemann pinch-ran for Wilson and stayed in the game at shortstop.
A leading contender for the AL Rookie of the Year Award, Wilson entered Tuesday batting .335 with nine home runs and an .847 OPS. The A’s are already without two key infielders: Miguel Andujar (right oblique strain) and Luis Urías (right hamstring strain).
