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Athletics' Lawrence Butler: Yet to make spring debut
Rotowire
Butler has yet to appear in Cactus League action as he works his way back from offseason knee surgery.
Butler has been slow-played this spring after undergoing surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee last October and receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection to address tendinitis in his left knee. Updates on his progress have been limited, though Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reported Feb. 23 that the 25-year-old has been regularly taking batting practice, shagging balls in the outfield and participating in light drills, though he had yet to begin running the bases. Manager Mark Kotsay previously suggested that Butler could make his Cactus League debut in "mid-spring," though a definitive timeline remains unclear. The outfielder is coming off a 2025 season in which he slashed .234/.306/.404 across 152 games and will look to bounce back closer to his 2024 production, when he posted an .807 OPS in 125 contests, with improved health in both knees heading into 2026.
Athletics' Lawrence Butler: Spring debut will be delayed
Rotowire
Butler will be held out of Cactus League action until mid-spring as he works his way back from offseason knee surgery, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Butler underwent surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee last October and was also given a platelet-rich plasma injection to address tendinitis in his left knee. He is in the final stages of his rehab and is fully expected to be ready to go on Opening Day, but the Athletics will ease him into game action this spring. Butler posted a disappointing .234/.306/.404 batting line in 2025 while playing through knee problems for a chunk of the season.
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Athletics' Lawrence Butler: Completes live BP session
Rotowire
Butler (knees) took part in a live batting practice session during Monday's full-squad workout, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Butler's ability to face live pitching early on in camp confirms that he's back to full health in advance of the 2026 campaign. Back on Oct. 3, the outfielder underwent surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee and received a platelet-rich plasma injection to address tendinitis in his left knee, but he seems to have had a relatively normal offseason. After he broke out with an .807 OPS in 2024, Butler's knee problems may have played a factor in his downturn in productivity in 2025, when he slashed .234/.306/.404 and saw his strikeout rate jump more than four percentage points to 28.4 percent. Despite the nearly 100-point drop in his OPS, Butler still came through with strong numbers in the counting categories (21 home runs, 22 steals, 83 runs, 63 RBI).
Athletics' Lawrence Butler: Says he'll be ready for spring
Rotowire
Butler (knee) said Monday that he will be fully ready for the beginning of spring training, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Butler underwent surgery in early October to repair a tear in his right patellar tendon and also had a debridement of chronic scar tissue in the knee. Additionally, he was given a platelet-rich plasma injection to combat chronic tendinitis in his left patellar tendon. Butler played through knee problems for a portion of the 2025 campaign, which could have contributed to his disappointing .234/.306/.404 batting line. While Butler is optimistic his recovery will not impact his readiness for the start of camp, it would not be a surprise if the Athletics slow-played the outfielder early on in spring training.
Athletics' Lawrence Butler: Undergoes patellar tendon surgery
Rotowire
Butler underwent surgery Friday to repair a tear in his right patellar tendon.
Butler also had a debridement of chronic scar tissue in his right knee and received a platelet-rich plasma injection to combat chronic tendinitis in his left patellar tendon. The expectation is that he will be ready to go for spring training. Butler played through knee issues down the stretch of the 2025 season, but the hope is that the procedures performed Friday will allow him to put his knee problems behind him. The 25-year-old slashed .234/.306/.404 with 21 home runs and 22 stolen bases over 152 games this season.
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Athletics' Lawrence Butler: Could require knee surgery
Rotowire
Butler will meet with a doctor to determine whether surgery is required to repair a patellar tendon strain in his right knee, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Butler played through the injury for the last couple weeks of the regular season. If he does need surgery on the knee, it's unclear at this juncture how long his rehab would take. Butler finished the 2025 campaign having slashed .234/.306/.404 with 21 home runs and 22 stolen bases over 152 contests.
Butler went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Friday's 4-3 win over the Royals.
Butler has gone just 3-for-22 over his last six games. He's up to 22 steals this season, including five over his last 11 contests. The outfielder has been far less consistent overall in 2025, posting a .235/.306/.406 slash line with 21 home runs, 63 RBI, 83 runs scored, 30 doubles and two triples over 151 games.
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Athletics' Lawrence Butler: Out of lineup versus left-hander
Rotowire
Butler is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Astros.
Butler will get a day off as the Astros send left-hander Framber Valdez to the bump. Colby Thomas will occupy center field and bat fifth for the Athletics.
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