On Thursday, outfielder Ka’ai Tom made his MLB debut.
With his 27th birthday fast approaching, Tom had put together an excellent track record in the minors but hadn’t yet gotten his chance in the bigs. The Oakland A’s rolled the dice, pulling him in the Rule 5 draft and giving him a spot on the Opening Day roster after an impressive spring training performance.
Tom got into the first game of the season as a pinch-runner and later received his first plate appearance. He made his first start the next day.
Sunday brought his next opportunity, but he could never have imagined what it would entail.