Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz was quiet with the bat throughout most of Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Kurtz put the game out of reach with a 493-foot grand slam off right-hander Scott Barlow in the eighth inning. It was his only hit of the day as he went 1-for-5 with that blast being his lone contribution on offense. It was his second career grand slam and certainly an epic one as it went nearly 500 feet. The rookie slugger is currently the front runner for Rookie of the Year. He's slashing .298/.391/.622 with 31 home runs and 78 RBI in 104 games.

Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz (oblique) is starting at first base and batting leadoff for Tuesday's game at Busch Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Miles Mikolas. Fantasy managers will want to get the left-handed slugger back in their starting lineups everywhere after Kurtz missed three games with discomfort in his oblique. Thankfully, he was able to avoid the injured list. While the 22-year-old rookie already has high-end power in his first year in the big leagues, he is in a bit of a slump recently, going 4-for-20 with a homer, five runs scored and nine strikeouts in nine games before hurting his oblique. But despite the recent cold stretch at the plate, Kurtz is still hitting .308 (103-for-334) with 27 home runs, 70 RBI and 70 runs scored in his first 94 games in the big leagues. He's the real deal.

Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz remains sidelined for Monday's series opener on the road at Busch Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals. Tyler Soderstrom will make another start at first base and will bat cleanup against Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray. Kurtz will be missing his third straight start on Monday due to an oblique injury, but the good news for fantasy managers is that an MRI exam on Saturday came back clean. It doesn't mean that Kurtz won't be forced to the injured list eventually, but you can consider him day-to-day for now. Check back to see if he's available for Game 2 of the series in St. Louis on Tuesday. The former fourth overall pick in 2024 out of Wake Forest is the real deal from a power standpoint. In his first 94 games with the A's this year, he's hit .308/.402/.632 with a 1.033 OPS, 27 homers and 70 RBI.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (oblique) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Texas Rangers. The A's have decided to hold out Kurtz for the rest of the weekend after he suffered an oblique injury on Friday. The MRI didn't reveal any significant damage, so Kurtz should be considered day-to-day. The A's aren't playing for anything at this point in the season, so they'll give Kurtz as much time as he needs to get healthy. It sounds like he'll avoid a trip to the injured list and hopefully return early next week. In the meantime, Tyler Soderstrom will cover first base and bat cleanup against right-hander Jacob deGrom on Sunday.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (oblique) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers. Kurtz was forced to make an early exit on Friday due to an oblique injury. Luckily, the MRI came back clean and Kurtz has avoided any major injuries. A's manager Mark Kotsay said he's hopeful that Kurtz returns sooner rather than later. For now, Kurtz should be considered day-to-day, but a stint on the injured list hasn't been ruled out. Tyler Soderstrom shifts over to first base on Saturday and figures to see a majority of his time over there until Kurtz returns.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (oblique) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers. This doesn't come as a surprise after Kurtz was forced to make an early exit from Friday's game due to right-oblique soreness. After the game, A's manager Mark Kotsay said Kurtz will likely undergo additional imaging to determine the severity of the injury. For now, Kurtz should be considered day-to-day and will likely sit out the weekend series. Tyler Soderstrom will cover first base and bat cleanup versus right-hander Merrill Kelly on Saturday. Fantasy managers should check back on Sunday for another update on Kurtz, but they should also be prepared for a potential injured-list stint from the left-handed power hitter.

Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz (oblique) exited the team's game against the Texas Rangers on Friday with soreness in his right oblique. After Kurtz drew a walk and scored a run in the bottom of the third inning, the A's took him out and put Tyler Soderstrom in to play first in the top of the fourth. Oblique issues often lead to stints on the injured list, which hopefully won't be the case here. The 22-year-old has burst on the scene this season to slash .308/.402/.632 with 27 homers, 70 RBI, and 70 runs scored in 392 plate appearances. With the season winding down, Kurtz is the heavy favorite to take home American League Rookie of the Year honors.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz is getting the night off on Wednesday against Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen. Tyler Soderstrom will replace Kurtz at first base and bat cleanup, while Carlos Cortes will play left field and occupy the leadoff spot. Kurtz is off after starting 14 games in a row for the A's dating back to July 28. The AL Rookie of the Year favorite has gone 15 straight contests without a home run since his incredible six-hit, four-HR, eight-RBI outburst against the Houston Astros on July 25. While he's a modest 15-for-54 (.278) with three RBI, 11 runs scored, and 20:11 K:BB since then, this has undoubtedly been a spectacular first season for Kurtz. The 22-year-old has slashed .300/.381/.618 with 23 homers, 62 RBI, and 56 runs over 337 plate appearances.

Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz posted one of the best offensive performances in baseball history in a 15-3 thrashing of the Houston Astros on Friday. The burgeoning star finished a jaw-dropping 6-for-6 with four homers, a double, eight RBI, and six runs scored to continue an incredible month at the plate. Now the 20th player to swat four homers in a game and the first rookie to ever accomplish the feat, the 22-year-old has gone 31-for-73 (.425) with 11 long balls, 27 RBI, and 22 runs across 19 games in July. With a .305/.374/.686 line, 23 HRs, 59 RBI, and 45 runs over 271 plate appearances this season, Kurtz has established himself as the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year just 12 months removed from going fourth overall in the 2024 draft.

Athletics first base prospect Nick Kurtz went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run during their victory on Sunday over the Toronto Blue Jays. Kurtz would go deep in the fifth inning with a two-run show off Toronto relief pitcher Justin Bruihl. Over his last nine contests, the Wake Forest product has been one of the most productive hitters in the major leagues, boasting a .344/.447/.938 slash line with four doubles and five long balls. Following his slow start in the majors, the former fourth overall pick has posted a remarkable .287/.376/.713 line with seven doubles and 16 home runs across his last 35 games. Earlier this season, Kurtz flashed immense power upside with Triple-A Las Vegas. The 22-year-old should continue to be viewed as a must-start first baseman in all formats.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz extended his hitting streak to four games during Saturday's contest against the New York Yankees. It was a quiet game from Kurtz until he blasted a three-run home run off right-hander Clarke Schmidt in the sixth inning. Kurtz has been crushing the ball lately with seven home runs over his last 13 games. He finished this game 1-for-4 with a homer, three RBI, and a walk in the 7-0 win. Kurtz has been hot with the bat lately and should be picking up steam on the waiver wire.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz went 3-for-3 with a three-run home run, two singles, and a walk in Wednesday's 3-0 win against the Tigers. Since June 15, the rookie has launched six home runs and has three multi-hit games in that span. It took a couple of weeks for him to get comfortable at the major league level, but the slugger is now slashing .255/.313/.523 with 11 home runs in 42 games. That's more than a 40-homer pace over 162 games, and he should be universally rostered in fantasy at this point. His 32.7% strikeout rate could cause some extended slumps, but the 22-year-old's elite power should continue to shine.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz homered for the third time in his last four games on Wednesday night, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored, a double, and a home run. The home run was a solo blast in the ninth inning off Nick Hernandez after the game was already decided, but it continues Kurtz's impressive adjustment to the majors. At just 22, Kurtz was drafted less than a year ago but is already posting impressive numbers. In his last 13 games spanning a stint on the injured list, Kurtz has gone 16-for-50 (.320) with three doubles, seven home runs, 15 RBI, a .480 wOBA, and a 56.8% hard-hit rate. His pitch selection is still a work in progress, but his raw power gives him an elite ceiling, especially when playing at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park.

Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz received the day off in Wednesday's series finale against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels for rest purposes after he recently returned from the injured list due to a hip injury. Tyler Soderstrom got the start at first base and hit third in the batting order for the A's in Anaheim. Kutz returned to the lineup on Monday and went 1-for-8 with a double and three strikeouts in the first two games of the series against the Halos. The 22-year-old former fourth overall pick last year out of Wake Forest quickly worked his way up through the minors and has impressive long-term upside, especially in the power department. He stands at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds and should continue serving as the team's regular first baseman the rest of the way. In his first 102 MLB at-bats, Kurtz has hit .235 with five long balls, 15 RBI and 11 runs scored.

Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz (hip) was activated from the 10-day injured list on Monday. Kurtz is back in the mix after being sidelined since late May due to a hip flexor strain. The rookie first baseman needed only one rehab appearance before rejoining the A's roster. He'll serve as the designated hitter and bat sixth against Yusei Kikuchi on Monday. Fantasy managers who have Kurtz rostered should make sure to get him in their lineups ahead of first pitch.

Athletics first base prospect Nick Kurtz (hip) went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, two runs scored and a walk as Low-A Stockton's leadoff hitter in his minor-league rehab game on Saturday. It was Kurt's first rehab game since landing on the 10-day injured list on May 25 with a strained left hip flexor, but as long as he feels good coming out of Saturday's game, he's expected to come off the IL and play in Monday's series opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels. The 22-year-old left-handed slugger is the No. 2 first base prospect in MLB behind the Royals' Jac Caglianone, and he has high-end power for fantasy manager in the near and long term. When Kurtz returns on Monday, he should jump right back into the starting lineup as the A's regular first baseman. The former first-rounder had gone 23-for-94 (.245) with five homers and 15 RBI in his first 28 MLB games before his injury.

Athletics first base prospect Nick Kurtz (hip) will tart a minor-league rehab assignment on Saturday with Single-A Stockton, according to MLB.com's Martin Gallegos. Barring a setback this weekend, Kurtz is expected to return to the big-league roster for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels. The 22-year-old left-handed slugger was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 25 with a left hip-flexor strain, but he's made progress and is ready to return to the A's soon. When Kurtz returns, he should go back to playing regularly at first base, which will push Tyler Soderstrom back to left field. The former fourth overall pick in 2024 out of Wake Forest has big-time power upside with his 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame. After quickly rising through the farm system, Kurtz went 23-for-94 (.245) with five homers and 15 RBI in his first 28 MLB games before getting injured.

Athletics general manager David Forst said that the target for first base prospect Nick Kurtz's (hip) return to the team is Monday in Anaheim for the series opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels. Kurtz is recovering from a strained left hip flexor and won't resume running until Saturday, but the A's apparently are comfortable with Kurtz returning without going on a minor-league rehab assignment. With the 22-year-old currently on the 10-day injured list, Tyler Soderstrom has moved back to first base from left field, opening up playing time in left field for Drew Avans. Kurtz, the fourth overall pick last year out of Wake Forest was mashing at Triple-A Las Vegas earlier this year, forcing the A's hand to bring him up to the big leagues. When he returns, he'll take over regular first-base duties and return to a .245/.315/.447 slash line with five homers and 15 RBI in his first 28 MLB games.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (hip) continues to work his way back from a hip flexor issue that recently placed him on the injured list. The plan is for Kurtz to run the bases next weekend. If everything goes well, Kurtz should head out on a minor league rehab assignment. He'll likely play a few games there before rejoining the A's lineup. It sounds like Kurtz is trending in the right direction and could be back in the lineup by mid-June.

The Athletics announced on Tuesday that they placed rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz (hip) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 25) with a strained left hip flexor and selected the contract of outfielder Drew Avans from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Kurtz, the club's top prospect per MLB Pipeline, debuted to much fanfare upon his call-up to the big leagues after clubbing seven homers in 20 games for Vegas in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. The former fourth overall pick last year out of Wake Forest hasn't been as productive in his first 28 MLB games, but he's hit a decent .245 (23-for-94) with five homers and 15 RBI in 108 trips to the plate. The 22-year-old power threat should be stashed in an IL spot while he heals. In the meantime, fellow prospect Logan Davidson could see extra work at first base alongside Tyler Soderstrom in Sacramento.