The Oakland Athletics’ seeming addiction to unpopular decisions continued Monday when they sent outfielder Esteury Ruiz down to the minor leagues, despite his stellar start to the season.
Ruiz began his year in Oakland batting .429 — with a .857 slugging percentage — through three games against the Cleveland Guardians, the highest mark on the A’s so far. His 1.232 OPS is good for second on the team, and his performance Sunday practically won Oakland its first game of the season.
A’s general manager David Forst spoke to reporters about the decision Monday: “We saw some better at-bats this spring, but the reality is, to use his skills, he needs to get on base.