The Athletics are pulling all the tricks out of the bag in an effort to end their nine-game losing streak.
The A’s are calling up top prospect and outfielder Denzel Clarke from Triple-A Las Vegas, They also are calling up No. 30 prospect and infielder/outfielder Logan Davidson, catcher Willie Maclver, infielder CJ Alexander and left-handed pitcher Jacob Lopez.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos first reported some of the moves Friday morning.
The A’s optioned centerfielder JJ Bleday, right-handed pitcher Carlos Duran and catcher Jhonny Pereda to Triple-A Las Vegas and designated outfielder/infielder Seth Brown for assignment, placed third baseman Gio Urshela on IL and transferred infielder Zack Gelof to the 60-day IL.
“[We’re] obviously in a stretch right now where we’re not finding ways to win,” general manager David Forst told reporters Friday. “Trying to make some changes where we can. … We will continue to look, both from a position player and pitcher’s standpoint, for places where we can make improvements and get back to the kind of baseball we were playing before this stretch started.
“I think we’re better than we’ve shown the last 10 days.”
Clarke, who just turned 25, is hitting .286/.436/.419 through 31 games with Las Vegas. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder already is viewed by the Athletics as a Gold Glove-caliber defender in center (h/t Gallegos), and Forst told reporters he’ll start there in Friday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
“From a defensive standpoint in center, he’s probably one of the better ones we have in the organization,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said of Clarke back in March. “He’s super talented out there.”
Davidson was selected by the Athletics in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft, and through 41 games with Las Vegas, he is hitting .303 with a .879 OPS. Forst envisions Davidson being a valuable “super-utility guy” for the A’s moving forward.
Maclver, 28, is hitting .389 with a 1.017 OPS through 35 games for Las Vegas, and Alexander, 28, is hitting .252/.348/.509 with a .857 OPS through 42 games. Lopez returns to the A’s with a 3.86 ERA through seven innings during the 2025 MLB season.
The Athletics now hope Clarke’s energetic spirit and crafty play, paired with a batch of fresh faces both at the plate and on the field, can help them turn things around.
Forst said Lopez, alongside Clarke, will start against Philadelphia, giving the call-ups a quick opportunity.
