OAKLAND — The Jacob Wilson era in Oakland is temporarily on hold.
Wilson, the A’s top prospect, was placed on the 10-day injured list on Sunday prior to the team’s series finale against the Angels with a left hamstring strain, an injury he sustained in the third inning of his major-league debut on Friday.
In a corresponding move, infielder Abraham Toro was activated from the 10-day injured list.
The 22-year-old’s major-league debut began on a high note. After turning a slick double play in the top of the third, Wilson lined a single into left field in the bottom of the frame to record his first career hit in his first career at-bat. The jubilation soon turned to agony.
Two batters later, Wilson hobbled into home plate as he scored on Lawrence Butler’s double, looking clearly distraught as he crossed home plate and scored his first career run. Wilson jogged out to shortstop for the top of the fourth inning, but was removed from the game before the start of the frame.
“Once I watched him take the field, that was an easy decision for me to pull him out of the game,” said manager Mark Kotsay on Friday. “He had a limp to the gait. There’s no reason for us to push that kid when there’s a lower-half injury that could get worse by having him make a play for us — or, by not being able to make a play and hurting the team. From that standpoint, I admire the kid’s passion and desire to be out on the field, but it’s my job to make that decision for him.”
“It was pretty horrible,” Wilson said on Friday of the injury. “This is the day you’ve been working for for your entire life. I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time now. I had three innings there, got the base hit, which was the high moment of my life right there. Then, rounding third, obviously felt something. It’s better safe than sorry trying not to make it worse. Hopefully, it’s not too serious.”
Wilson dealt with a knee injury earlier this season that forced him to miss a month, but this is the first time in his career that he’s dealt with a hamstring injury.
With Wilson on the injured list, utility man Max Schuemann will re-assume the role of starting shortstop. Prior to Wilson’s arrival, Schuemann had been the starting shortstop for most of the year, starting 56 games at the position in the first half. Kotsay informed Schuemann that he would be transitioning back into a utility role to correspond with Wilson being called up, but with Wilson on the shelf, Schuemann, who got the starting nod on Saturday and Sunday, will once again captain Oakland’s infield.
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