Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Makes splash in big-league return
Rotowire
Hernaiz went 2-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and a run in a 3-1 win over the Yankees on Thursday.
Hernaiz, who was called back up from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day, made an impact from the bottom of the order for an offense-starved Oakland team. He had significant trouble mastering big-league arms to open the season, but he's in line for significant playing time while Zack Gelof (oblique) is on the 10-day injured list.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Back in big leagues
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The Athletics recalled Hernaiz from Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
He's taking the roster spot vacated by Zack Gelof (oblique). Hernaiz will be a candidate for reps at second base in Gelof's absence and he can handle shortstop and third base, as well. It's unclear how high he'll be in the pecking order, however, after he managed just a .103/.156/.103 batting line before being sent down.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Call-up likely due to Gelof injury
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Hernaiz is a likely candidate for a promotion from Triple-A Las Vegas if Zack Gelof's oblique injury forces him to go on the injured list, MLB.com reports.
Gelof was held out of Wednesday's loss to the Yankees with what was originally described as abdominal soreness, and he was eventually diagnosed with a left oblique strain and labeled as a likely IL candidate. If that indeed comes to pass, it appears Hernaiz, who's hit .211 over his first six games with Las Vegas since his demotion last Thursday, would make a quick return to the big-league club. Hernaiz has experience at second base, third base and shortstop, and but he scuffled to a .103/.156/.103 slash line across his first 32 plate appearances to start the season before being sent down to the Aviators.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Homers in first minors game
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Hernaiz, optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day, went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a win over Tacoma on Thursday.
Hernaiz put the first runs of the night on the board in the third inning with his shot to center field. The 22-year-old struggled badly with big-league pitching during his 17-game stint in the majors, but he fashioned a .319/.384/.454 slash line across 131 games between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas last season and has picked up where he left off in the minors.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Shuttled to Las Vegas
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Hernaiz was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Hernaiz had started seven of the last eight games for the Athletics, though he went just 3-for-20 with six strikeouts in that span. It's very likely that he'll be back in the majors at some point in 2024, though there's no indication of how long the team plans to keep him in the minors. The move should give Nick Allen the starting job at shortstop while creating a roster spot for Brent Rooker (ribs) to be activated off the injured list.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Seizing hold of regular role
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Hernaiz will start at third base and bat sixth Wednesday against the Cardinals.
Though he's drawing a start at the hot corner in the series finale, Hernaiz appears to have leapfrogged Nick Allen on the depth chart at shortstop. Hernaiz will be making his fifth straight start and his seventh in eight games, despite having recorded just two hits through his first 26 at-bats in the majors. Hernaiz remains one of the top positional prospects in the organization, so he could continue to play regularly while the 7-11 Athletics don't fancy themselves as contenders.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Retreats to bench Saturday
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Hernaiz will not be in the starting lineup Saturday against the Tigers.
Hernaiz has yet to record a hit this season, going 0-for-9 with four strikeouts. His start against lefty Tarik Skubal on Friday was just his second start in the A's last six games.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Shifts back to bench Saturday
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Hernaiz is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against Cleveland.
Hernaiz got the start at third base Friday against left-hander Logan Allen, with the former finishing 0-for-2. With right-hander Tanner Bibee taking the mound Saturday, the Athletics will start J.D. Davis at third base, while Ryan Noda moves back into the lineup at first.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Wins spot on roster
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Manager Mark Kotsay said Monday that Hernaiz will be on the Athletics' Opening Day roster, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.
Hernaiz has played well in spring training, slashing .313/.340/.333 with six RBI over 48 at-bats while showing defensive improvement at shortstop and third base. His spot on the Opening Day roster looked to be up in the air after the Athletics signed J.D. Davis on March 15, but Hernaiz will start 2024 in the majors as a versatile infield option.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Could be impacted by Davis signing
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Hernaiz, who has been making a push for an Opening Day roster spot at third base, could now begin the season in the minors due to the signing of J.D. Davis on Friday, Martin Gallegos and Manny Randhawa of MLB.com report.
Hernaiz has stood out for his improved defense at the hot corner this spring, but his .281 batting average (10-for-35) comes with zero extra-base hits and a 1:6 BB:K. The addition of a proven commodity in Davis potentially changes the infield equation in the short term, but Hernaiz is still an excellent candidate to see a solid amount of big-league at-bats during the coming season.
Hernaiz, who's hitting .240 with five RBI across 10 Cactus League games, is making a strong bid for an Opening Day spot with improved arm strength and footwork, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Hernaiz came into spring camp needing to improve his overall infield defense, and he's been able to make significant progress over the last several weeks. Hernaiz has been splitting time between shortstop and third base, and although the former is his natural position, the latter may be his best path to an Opening Day roster spot. Hernaiz is also holding his own with the bat against big-league arms this spring, and he posted a remarkable .319/.384/.454 slash line and 13.4 percent strikeout rate across 131 games between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas last season.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Getting look at third base
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Hernaiz has been seeing action at third base this spring and could get a shot to start there for the Athletics, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Hernaiz has predominantly been a shortstop in the minors, and the A's aren't exactly set at that position with Nick Allen as the incumbent. However, it sounds like Hernaiz's better shot at a starting gig might come at third, particularly with Aledmys Diaz (groin) likely to require a stint on the injured list. Jordan Diaz, Brett Harris and Abraham Toro are also in the mix at the hot corner. For what it's worth, Gallegos projected Hernaiz on Thursday to win the third base job.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Selected to 40-man roster
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The Athletics selected Hernaiz to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
Hernaiz was acquired from the Orioles last winter as part of the Cole Irvin trade and went on to post an encouraging .321/.386/.456 batting line with nine homers and five steals in 131 games this past season between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas. The 22-year-old infielder is now protected from selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft and could make his MLB debut in early 2024.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Off to hot start in Vegas
Rotowire
Hernaiz has gone 8-for-19 with a double, a home run and seven RBI across his first four games with Triple-A Las Vegas since being promoted from Double-A Midland last Wednesday.
The promising shortstop earned the bump up the ladder with a stellar body of work at Midland, and Hernaiz has had no trouble carrying over the momentum to the Aviators early. The 21-year-old has three straight multi-hit efforts, including one two games ago highlighted by a ninth-inning grand slam. Hernaiz doesn't have much of a power profile, but he's an above-average contact hitter that's proven capable of double-digit steals on multiple occasions and should have a good chance of continuing to thrive in the Pacific Coast League's hitter-friendly environment.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Promoted to Triple-A
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The Athletics promoted Hernaiz to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Hernaiz had a strong start to the season with Double-A Midland, slashing .335/.390/.482 with 42 RBI across 308 plate appearances. If he continues to produce well in the minors, the 21-year-old shortstop figures to end the season in Triple-A with a shot at cracking the majors at some point in 2024.
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Athletics' Darell Hernaiz: Sent to Oakland
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Hernaiz and minor-league pitcher Kyle Virbitsky were traded from the Orioles to the Athletics on Thursday in exchange for left-hander Cole Irvin, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Hernaiz was one of Baltimore's top prospects and headlines the return for Irvin, who should slot in near the top of the rotation. Hernaiz opened the 2022 campaign at the Single-A level but finished the year with a brief run at Double-A. The 21-year-old had a .273/.341/.438 slash line with 12 home runs and 32 stolen bases across the three levels, and he could make his way to Triple-A at some point in 2023 for Oakland.
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Orioles' Darell Hernaiz: Advances to Double-A
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The Orioles promoted Hernaiz from High-A Aberdeen to Double-A Bowie on Monday.
With two highly regarded prospects in Colton Cowser and Joseph Ortiz getting bumped up to Triple-A Norfolk on Monday, Hernaiz will get moved up a rung on the minor-league ladder to fill one of the open roster spots at Bowie. The 21-year-old shortstop earned the promotion after slashing .305/.376/.456 with five home runs and 22 stolen bases across 255 plate appearances at Aberdeen.
