Denzel Clarke sustained a high-grade strain of his left hamstring during a rehab game with Triple-A Las Vegas. The injury occurred after he was already returning from a right foot bone bruise that cost him a month. The hamstring strain is expected to require a couple months before a return to play is considered, pushing an MLB return to at least August. Clarke has missed most of the past calendar year due to injuries, including an adductor strain that cost him nearly all of the 2025 second half. He has played 69 MLB games, batting .214/.262/.323 with 85 strikeouts over 219 plate appearances, while providing strong defensive value in center field. With Clarke unavailable, Henry Bolte and Lawrence Butler have handled center field duties, while the team remains near the top of the AL West despite the roster challenges.
"The Athletics announced this evening that center fielder Denzel Clarke suffered a high-grade strain of his left hamstring while playing in a rehab game. The A's won't even have a defined return timeline until he's reevaluated at some point after the All-Star Break. Clarke sustained the injury on Tuesday with Triple-A Las Vegas. He was working back from a bone bruise in his right foot that had already cost him a month. The hamstring seems to be far more significant, as it'll be a couple months before they consider a return to play."
"That all but ensures he won't be ready for MLB action until at least August. One of the most talented defensive players in the sport, Clarke has missed most of the past calendar year with injuries. He lost almost all of the 2025 second half with an adductor strain. The injuries have robbed the A's of their starting center fielder and Clarke of much needed reps to develop at the plate."
"The 26-year-old has appeared in 69 games at the big league level. He has struck out 85 times while batting .214/.262/.323 over 219 plate appearances. Clarke has already racked up an impressive highlight reel on the other side of the ball, pulling off multiple home run robberies while grading as one of the top outfielders in MLB. Statcast credits him with 14 Outs Above Average in a little over 500 innings in center field."
"initially handled center field when Clarke went on the injured list in late April. They've moved him to third base of late, giving the center field responsibilities to Henry Bolte and Lawrence Butler. The latter hasn't gotten going in his return from last fall's patellar tendon procedure. Butler is hitting .174/.273/.265 over 150 plate appearances. Bolte is batting .269 with one double in his first seven MLB games."
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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