Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Contributes as in-game replacement
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Hernaiz entered Sunday's loss to the Mariners as a defensive replacement at third base in the seventh inning and went 1-for-1 with a two-run double.
Hernaiz made things interesting during his only plate appearance, doubling home Seth Brown and Zack Gelof in the ninth inning to slice a four-run deficit in half. The young infielder played only 48 games at the major-league level during his rookie 2024 campaign, with a near two-month stay on the injured list due to an ankle issue playing a large part. Hernaiz finished with just a .192 average and .503 OPS across 135 plate appearances; however, the combination of his adequate 8.1 percent walk rate and 20.0 percent strikeout rate in his first brush with big-league arms and his career .294/.358/.424 minor-league slash line imply he could certainly take a notable step forward if he remains healthy in 2025.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Sent back to Triple-A
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The Athletics optioned Hernaiz to Triple-A Las Vegas following Sunday's 4-3 win over the Brewers.
Hernaiz's demotion clears room on the roster for fellow infielder Jacob Wilson (hamstring), who appears set to return from the 10-day injured list ahead of the Athletics' next game Tuesday in Cincinnati. Since being activated from the 60-day IL earlier this month, Hernaiz had settled in as the Athletics' primary option at third base, but he slashed just .209/.306/.326 with three extra-base hits and no stolen bases over 15 games to earn a trip back to Triple-A. With Wilson likely to take over as the Athletics' everyday shortstop, Max Schuemann is expected to slide over from shortstop to replace Hernaiz at third base.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Not starting Saturday
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Hernaiz isn't in the Athletics' lineup for Saturday's game against Milwaukee.
Hernaiz went 0-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Friday's series opener, and he'll now take a seat Saturday while Tyler Nevin starts at third base and bats seventh.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Back on bench Sunday
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Hernaiz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.
Hernaiz had started in each of the last three games, but he'll likely move back into more of a utility role after Seth Brown returned from the paternity list Saturday. In Sunday's series finale, the Athletics will roll out an infield of Brown at first base, Zack Gelof at second base, Max Schuemann at shortstop and Abraham Toro at third base, and that will likely be the team's preferred configuration against right-handed pitching going forward.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Slugs first big-league homer
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Hernaiz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Blue Jays on Friday.
The rookie accounted for the Athletics' only run of the game with his 391-foot shot to left center in the third inning, his first big-league homer. Friday's start was the fourth in six games for Hernaiz since returning from the 60-day injured list, and he's now hit safely in two of the last three contests. However, Friday's blast was the first extra-base hit of his career as well, and he's still limping along with a .188 average and .472 OPS across 90 plate appearances this season.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Reinstated from IL
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Oakland reinstated Hernaiz (ankle) from the 60-day injured list Friday.
Hernaiz had been on the injured list since May 8 due to a left ankle sprain. He started his rehab assignment at Triple-A Las Vegas on July 20, and across his nine games, he slashed .364/.432/.545 with two stolen bases, three doubles, one home run and two RBI across 37 plate appearances. To make room for Hernaiz on the 40-man roster, the Athletics transferred right-hander Luis Medina (elbow) to the 60-day injured list. Hernaiz had been given a brief look in an everyday role prior to landing on the IL, but he may have to settle for a utility role upon his return with Zack Gelof, Abraham Toro and Max Schuemann seemingly locked in as Oakland's starters at second base, third base and shortstop, respectively.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Remains on assignment Tuesday
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Hernaiz (ankle) played a full game at shortstop in Triple-A Las Vegas' loss to Albuquerque on Tuesday, going 2-for-4 with a walk and three runs.
Hernaiz was charged with an error as well, but otherwise, his night was yet another step in the right direction. The 22-year-old appears ready for activation at any point moving forward, as he's now forged a .345 average and .873 OPS across 33 plate appearances over eight rehab games. Hernaiz has experience playing every infield position besides first base.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Solid workload in rehab games
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Hernaiz (ankle) played in back-to-back rehab games for Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday, logging eight innings at second base in the former and taking a full allotment of plate appearances as the designated hitter in the latter.
Hernaiz went a combined 2-for-9 during that stretch and has hit .364 over 24 plate appearances across six rehab games overall. The 22-year-old has also gotten the green light for a pair of steal attempts -- both successful -- during his time in the minors, supporting the notion his previously injured ankle could be back to full strength. Hernaiz appears well on track to be activated from the 60-day injured list at some point early in the coming week.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Another standout rehab effort
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Hernaiz (ankle) started at shortstop and played seven innings in Triple-A Las Vegas' extra-inning win over Reno on Tuesday, going 3-for-5 with an RBI double, a stolen base and two runs.
Hernaiz was back on defense after a day off Monday, and he delivered an encouraging offensive performance in addition to logging a full workload on defense without issue. The recovering infielder has hit safely in three straight rehab games and has back-to-back multi-hit efforts, suggesting he may not have much left to prove in the minors before activation.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Kicks off rehab assignment Saturday
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Hernaiz (ankle) started at designated hitter in Triple-A Las Vegas' loss to Salt Lake on Saturday, going 1-for-3 with a double.
The rookie infielder was logging his first game action since May 7 and put together an encouraging performance overall. Hernaiz figures to need an extensive rehab assignment given the amount of time he's been sidelined, and his next appearance with the Aviators may also see him play at least a partial game on defense.
Hernaiz (ankle) has begun a hitting progression, MLB.com reports.
Hernaiz was able to shed his walking boot in the first half of June, and he's now graduated to baseball work from the strength and fitness program. The infielder will likely progress to full baseball activities after the hitting progression before eventually embarking on what could be a fairly robust rehab assignment.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Sheds walking boot
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Hernaiz (ankle) is out of his walking boot and will begin a strength and fitness program this week, MLB.com reports.
The 22-year-old has been making very slow progress from his severe ankle sprain, but it appears his recovery is starting to gather some momentum just over a month after he initially suffered the injury. Hernaiz's next step after the strength and fitness program will be to resume baseball activities, with the start date for that benchmark still to be determined.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Transferred to 60-day IL
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The Athletics transferred Hernaiz (ankle) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.
The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Aaron Brooks, who was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday versus the Astros. Hernaiz suffered a severe left ankle sprain last week and now won't be eligible to return until early July. Max Schuemann has since taken over as Oakland's everyday shortstop in his stead.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Dealing with severe ankle sprain
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Hernaiz, who was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier Wednesday, has been diagnosed with a severe left ankle sprain and will visit with a foot specialist, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Hernaiz was injured during Tuesday's 15-8 loss to the Rangers when he stepped awkwardly on first base and was subsequently placed on the IL. More should be known about a potential timetable for the rookie infielder following his exam, but Hernaiz looks as though he could be sidelined for weeks, if not months. The 22-year-old has slashed .182/.243/.182 over 75 plate appearances with Oakland this season and had recently been serving as the team's everyday shortstop.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Lands on injured list
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The Athletics placed Hernaiz on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a left ankle injury.
Hernaiz suffered the injury during Tuesday's 15-8 loss to the Rangers when he stepped awkwardly on first base while trying to beat out an infield hit. It's not clear at this point how long he might be sidelined. Max Schuemann and Brett Harris could handle shortstop for the Athletics while Hernaiz is out.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Early exit with injury
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Hernaiz was lifted for a pinch runner and limped off the field after stepping awkwardly on first base Tuesday against Texas, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Hernaiz's day will be done after he sustained a left ankle injury trying to beat out an infield hit in the second inning. While he managed to beat the throw, Hernaiz was replaced by Max Schuemann and won't return to Tuesday's contest. The A's have a doubleheader with the Rangers on Wednesday, followed by a day off before a three-game set against the Mariners that begins Friday.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Back in big leagues
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The Athletics recalled Hernaiz from Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
He's taking the roster spot vacated by Zack Gelof (oblique). Hernaiz will be a candidate for reps at second base in Gelof's absence and he can handle shortstop and third base, as well. It's unclear how high he'll be in the pecking order, however, after he managed just a .103/.156/.103 batting line before being sent down.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Shuttled to Las Vegas
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Hernaiz was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Hernaiz had started seven of the last eight games for the Athletics, though he went just 3-for-20 with six strikeouts in that span. It's very likely that he'll be back in the majors at some point in 2024, though there's no indication of how long the team plans to keep him in the minors. The move should give Nick Allen the starting job at shortstop while creating a roster spot for Brent Rooker (ribs) to be activated off the injured list.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Seizing hold of regular role
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Hernaiz will start at third base and bat sixth Wednesday against the Cardinals.
Though he's drawing a start at the hot corner in the series finale, Hernaiz appears to have leapfrogged Nick Allen on the depth chart at shortstop. Hernaiz will be making his fifth straight start and his seventh in eight games, despite having recorded just two hits through his first 26 at-bats in the majors. Hernaiz remains one of the top positional prospects in the organization, so he could continue to play regularly while the 7-11 Athletics don't fancy themselves as contenders.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Retreats to bench Saturday
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Hernaiz will not be in the starting lineup Saturday against the Tigers.
Hernaiz has yet to record a hit this season, going 0-for-9 with four strikeouts. His start against lefty Tarik Skubal on Friday was just his second start in the A's last six games.
