Esteury Ruiz DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is in the starting lineup for their spring opener on Saturday afternoon. Ruiz will cover left field and bat in the six-hole. Ruiz only appeared in 29 contests for the Athletics last season as he was limited by a wrist injury. He ended the campaign on the 60-day injured list. Across his small stint, Ruiz swiped five bags and held a .200 AVG. During the 2023 season, Ruiz posted a .254/.309/.345 line with an impressive 67 stolen bases. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during spring training, as he will likely be competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster. Ruiz will likely compete alongside prospect Colby Thomas for a corner outfield spot. If he does earn a spot, he will have value in deeper formats, given his elite speed upside.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (knee, wrist) underwent arthroscopic right-knee surgery on Tuesday in Texas, the team announced. Ruiz was already ruled out for the remainder of the 2024 season due to a strained left wrist, and now he'll be rehabbing a knee procedure this offseason on top of it. The 25-year-old speedster specifically had a patella tendon debridement and chondroplasty done to his knee. After stealing a league-high 67 bases in his first year in Oakland in 2023, Ruiz was a massive disappointment for fantasy managers hoping to lock down stolen bases by taking him in drafts. Ruiz only played in 29 games at the major-league level in 2024 and hit .200/.270/.382 with a .652 OPS, two homers, two doubles, a triple, eight RBI and five stolen bases in 65 plate appearances. The A's sent him down to the minors early in the year and he was never able to recover.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (wrist) was ruled out for the rest of the season today per Athletics manager Mark Kotsay. Ruiz has been out since late May after straining his left wrist. The 25-year-old had been playing in rehab games as part of his progression back to the major league club but was pulled off his rehab assignment on July 20th. Ruiz was having a so-so season at the plate, hitting for an 87 OPS+, on par with his production in 2023. He stole just five bases in 29 games, well behind pace from his 2023 clip of 67 stolen bases in 132 games. Ruiz will have to wait until 2025 to improve his numbers. Fantasy managers that happen to still be holding onto him can cut bait for the rest of 2024. Those looking for outfield help should turn to JJ Bleday, who is hitting for a .972 OPS in August.