Esteury Ruiz's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

After being recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day, Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz provided the team with its only offense in Monday's loss versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Ruiz only got one at-bat in the contest as he was summoned to pinch-hit for outfielder Lawrence Butler in the bottom of the eight inning, but he made the most of it with a solo home run. Ruiz was mysteriously demoted earlier in the season, but he is back with the club now and should get plenty of reps in the outfield for Oakland. Power is not a big part of his game, but you are paying for his base stealing ability that is game changing with home runs being added value. Due to his speed, he is worth rostering in most formats, but managers should keep an eye on his playing time.

Oakland Athletics infielder J.D. Davis (groin) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday, and outfielder Esteury Ruiz was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Davis exited Sunday's 7-6 win over the Washington Nationals due to a strained right groin, and he'll need to spend some time on the shelf. The 30-year-old was operating as Oakland's primary third baseman, but he's batting just .196 (10-for-51) with two solo home runs over 14 games this year. The speedy Ruiz is available off the bench for the A's on Monday and could eventually reclaim his spot as the club's everyday center fielder after a spell in the minor leagues. The 25-year-old contact hitter slashed .326/.423/.581 with three homers, eight RBI, and seven stolen bases across 51 plate appearances in the minors, and he led the American League with 67 swipes a year ago. Ruiz should be added in fantasy for steals where available.

The Oakland Athletics optioned outfielder Esteury Ruiz to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday to make room for first baseman Tyler Nevin on the active roster. After hitting .254/.309/.345 with a league-leading 67 stolen bases in 132 games in his first year in Oakland in 2023, Ruiz's fantasy value has taken a huge hit early on in 2024 with the demotion. The 25-year-old speedster hit leadoff in two of the team's first four games this past weekend and went 3-for-7 with an RBI and a stolen base, but for now he'll head to the minors. Right now, Ruiz is the A's fifth outfielder behind JJ Bleday, Seth Brown, Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker. Ruiz could be back with the A's quickly if one of the aforementioned outfielders gets hurt, but for now, it's hard to justify holding him in shallow-mixed leagues.

Oakland Athletics outfield Esteury Ruiz pinch-hit and went 0-for-1 in Thursday's Opening Day loss versus the Cleveland Guardians. Ruiz came on for outfielder Lawrence Butler in the bottom of the eighth and popped out. Ruiz was a managers special in the speed department entering this spring, but really struggled in the Cactus League, while Butler was red-hot and earned not only an Opening Day roster spot, but also the start. Ruiz can be a difference maker in the speed department for managers, but that's dependent on his playing time and right now it looks like he is part of a platoon with the A's outfielders. Managers shouldn't give up on Ruiz yet, but may have to look other places for consistent speed on an everyday basis.

MLB.com's Martin Gallegos doesn't have outfielder Esteury Ruiz included in his projected Opening Day lineup, although he writes that the speedy outfielder should get plenty of at-bats this year. Instead, Gallegos has Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday and Seth Brown starting from left to right across the outfield. Bleday figures to start the year as the starter in center field for the A's, at least against right-handed pitching, which is a major knock to Ruiz's fantasy value for those seeking stolen bases. As a result, fantasy managers should expect fewer counting stats for the 25-year-old Dominican outfielder, but his elite speed is still worth chasing in mixed leagues. In his first year in Oakland in 2023, Ruiz hit .254 (114-for-449) with a league-leading 67 swipes in 132 games played.