The Athletics announced several moves ahead of Saturday’s game against the Marlins. The team opted for a holding contract Brian Serven and returned to the utilityman Zack Gelof from IL for 10 days. Midfielders Darrell Hernaiz again Joey Meneses they went back to Triple-A. The A’s had few openings on the 40-man roster, so no additional moves were necessary for Serven.
Shea Langeliers he was ruled out of last night’s game with a thumb injury, so the A’s added some catching depth over the weekend. Jonah Heim will draw a starter behind the plate tonight against it Sandy Alcantara. Serven will be the backup until Langeliers is ready to resume his starting role.
Serven, 31, is returning to the big leagues after spending all of 2025 with Detroit’s Triple-A organization. He played parts of three seasons in the majors, mostly with the Rockies. Serven retained eligibility with the Blue Jays through 2024.
Serven is a career .187 hitter as a major leaguer, but he had a great season with Las Vegas. The veteran slashed .295/.392/.505 in 53 games before being called up. As we saw when the A’s played there, the Las Vegas Ballpark is a very good facility, so it’s unlikely that Serven will take a step forward in hitting. His biggest hits should continue to come from behind the plate. Serven compiled 7 Defensive Runs in 730 innings with the Rockies and Blue Jays.
Gelof needed some time on the injured list with an injured hand. He returned to tonight’s lineup, batting second and playing left field. Gelof has played a lot of third base this year, but has been injured Brent Rooker again Tyler Soderstrom do without a clear need.
A hand injury temporarily halted what had been a great comeback campaign for Gelof. After struggling to stick in the lineup last year, he posted a 129 wRC+ through 62 games this season. Gelof reduced his hard hitting rate to 24.1%. He hit 11 home runs and stole eight bases as a near-everyday player who bounced between second base, third base, and the outfield.
Hernaiz has been up and down with the A’s since his debut in 2024. He broke camp with the team this season, but has already been cut from the roster once. His most recent run in the majors ended in less than a week. Hernaiz had an impressive .606 OPS in 134 plate appearances. He saw playing time at every infield position except first base. The 24-year-old also made his MLB debut in the outfield. Hernaiz is in his final minor league option year.
Meneses returned to the big leagues after a year in Triple-A with the Mets. He signed a minor league contract with the A’s in November and earned a promotion after posting a 124 wRC+ with Las Vegas. The 34-year-old appeared in 7 games with the club, going 2-for-14 with a handful of RBI. Meneses put together a year and a half of solid production when he first pitched with the Nationals, but struggled mightily in 2024.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
