A’s call up Triple-A slugger, left-hander in roster shakeup. What does it mean?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Joey Meneses hit an RBI single in his first game with the A's.
- Left‑hander Matt Krook pitched a scoreless sixth inning after his call‑up.
- The move sent Alika Williams to Triple‑A and designated Scott Barlow for assignment.
It only took one pitch for Athletics slugger Joey Meneses to make an impact, driving in a run with a single in his first game with the A’s on Sunday.
Although it took 18 pitches to get through the sixth inning later in the loss to the Los Angeles Angels, left-hander Matt Krook also got the job done, allowing no runs while walking one.
The two were among the best players on the A’s Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators, before being called up Sunday. Both have MLB experience but have spent the past few years bouncing between the majors and minors as the A's looked to fill multiple holes created by injuries.
The move also optioned Alika Williams, who had performed well as a backup infielder in 23 games this season, to Triple-A Las Vegas and included designating struggling reliever Scott Barlow for assignment.
A’s ace Luis Severino was also transferred to the 60-day injured list with the right shoulder strain that first landed him on the IL in late May. Severino will be reevaluated in July.
Who are Meneses, Krook?
On Monday, Meneses was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week after making his 2026 MLB debut.
Meneses, 34, excelled in Triple-A this season after signing a minor league deal with the A’s in the offseason. In 69 games with more than 300 plate appearances, Meneses hit .348 with a .943 OPS, 11 home runs and 20 doubles.
With two-time All-Star designated hitter Brent Rooker on the IL with a left knee bone bruise, the DH spot is largely open, though it could be used as a rotating rest spot for some of the team’s top sluggers. Rooker said last week he didn’t know how long his injury would keep him out, saying only that it occurred around early May while running the bases.
On Sunday, Meneses started at DH batting sixth before being lifted for the left-handed Carlos Cortes after three at-bats.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay said Meneses is likely to get at-bats against left-handed pitchers, either at DH or at first base while superstar Nick Kurtz serves as the designated hitter.
“Joey’s earned this opportunity,” manager Mark Kotsay said before Sunday’s game, according to MLB.com. “He had a heck of a first half in Vegas as probably the best performer on that club.”
Meneses made his MLB debut with the Washington Nationals in 2022. He spent three seasons with the team as a productive hitter, including 2023, when he played 154 games, hit 36 doubles and posted a .744 OPS.
Krook, 31, had appeared in only eight MLB games before Sunday, most recently pitching 3 1/3 innings with the A’s across three appearances in 2025. On Sunday, Krook retired the Angels’ No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 hitters, though all three at-bats lasted at least six pitches.
In 25 relief appearances with Las Vegas this season, Krook posted a 3.72 ERA in 29 innings with 42 strikeouts and 16 walks.
Why was Alika Williams sent down?
Williams, 27, was acquired in a trade from the Pirates in mid-May as the A’s searched for a replacement for injured All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson.
Williams had 45 at-bats across 23 games with the A’s, slashing .289/.319/.467 with six extra-base hits.
With Wilson back from injury and utility infielder Zack Gelof in the midst of a 24-game hitting streak, Williams’ utility role had diminished and became less important than adding a slugger capable of hitting left-handed pitching, given Rooker’s absence.
The A’s already have veteran Jeff McNeil, Max Muncy, who recently returned from the IL, along with Wilson, Gelof and Kurtz in the infield. Sending down any of the team’s five outfielders, who either have performed well or carry significant contracts, was unlikely, leaving Williams as the odd man out despite his strong performance.
Meanwhile, Barlow, 33, struggled this season for the A’s. The veteran reliever posted a 6.48 ERA in 33 1/3 innings, including two four-run outings last week and a two-run outing against the Angels on Saturday that ended his time with the A’s.
The promotion of Krook and the designation of Barlow marked the latest attempt by the A’s to restructure a struggling pitching staff, particularly the bullpen.
The team has cycled through various prospects and veterans with mixed success as it entered Monday at 38-40, just below .500 and in second place in the American League West.
Next for the A’s is a three-game road series against the San Francisco Giants, beginning at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday at Oracle Park.
