Clarke's injury could leave gaping hole in center of A's defense

Denzel Clarke jogged slowly toward home plate with his head down. The Athletics' center fielder was able to score easily from second base on Nick Kurtz’s eighth-inning double down the right-field line Sunday, but something wasn’t right. As Clarke reached the plate, he gathered part of his jersey into his mouth, trying not to show the pain.

Clarke’s late exit from Sunday’s 8-2 loss to the Guardians at Progressive Field with right hip discomfort threatened to put a damper on the rookie’s stellar defensive season -- and it could leave the A’s in need of a center fielder should Clarke miss time.

Clarke hurt himself rounding third base on Kurtz’s RBI double, slowing up suddenly as he turned the corner and headed home. He was replaced in center when the A’s went out for the bottom of the eighth, and he was seen walking with difficulty in the dugout.

The severity of the injury remains unknown, but if Clarke requires a stint on the injured list, the A’s would sorely miss one of MLB’s best defenders. By outs above average, Clarke (+12) is tied for eighth among qualifying players and tied for third among outfielders.

Not bad for a player who debuted on May 23 -- and Clarke’s hitting has been picking up, too. After batting .189 with a .503 OPS in his first 35 games through July 2, he’s hitting .333 with a 1.007 OPS in 12 games since. That included his double Sunday to get on base in the eighth, which came on the heels of a 3-for-4 showing Saturday that included a double and a triple.

“We’re definitely seeing a kid progressing in the right direction for sure offensively,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said July 8, four days after Clarke crushed a 471-foot moonshot against the Giants for his third home run of the season.

Clarke’s strikeout rate is still a concern: He has fanned 61 times in 159 plate appearances (38.4%), the third-highest rate among hitters with 100 or more PAs in 2025.

But with the defensive boost Clarke provides, the A’s have been OK with that. The rookie has started in center field every game since June 27 and in 44 of the club’s 50 games since his debut. Entering Sunday, Clarke had accrued 1.2 WAR per FanGraphs in just 46 total games.

But if Clarke misses any time with his hip injury -- whether he’s day to day or needs a stint on the IL -- the A’s still have options.

Max Schuemann, who moved to center when Clarke left Sunday’s game, can handle the position in a pinch. Lawrence Butler can play there, too. At Triple-A Las Vegas, the A’s have both JJ Bleday -- the everyday starter in center before Clarke’s callup -- and No. 3 prospect Colby Thomas, who can play all three outfield positions.

None can play to Clarke’s level defensively, though. Butler, a plus defender in right field (+3 outs above average), has been worth -1 OAA in four games (two starts) in center. Bleday, meanwhile, is at -5 in 51 games (48 starts) there. Thomas played almost exclusively in left field (with one inning in right) during his five-game stint in the Majors.

Sunday’s game further demonstrated Clarke’s importance to the A’s defensively. With the Guardians up 2-0 and the bases loaded with two outs in the fourth inning, Cleveland’s David Fry snuck a grounder past the glove of Gio Urshela at third base. It likely would have brought home two runs, but a misread by Tyler Soderstrom in left field allowed the bases to clear.

That came two days after José Ramírez took advantage of Soderstrom’s hesitation in left field to get to third base on a ball to the outfield wall. Soderstrom has been capable (0 OAA) in left field this season with an impressive seven outfield assists, but he’s playing out of position there.

As a team, the A’s entered Sunday ranking 27th in MLB with -18 OAA. Without Clarke’s +12, they would be last, below the Angels (-28). It doesn’t work that way, but it’s clear if Clarke is sidelined for long, defense will be a bigger issue for the team.

Of course, an injury coming on the heels of Clarke’s recent offensive breakout could be the bigger concern. Before the All-Star break, Kotsay said the game had begun to slow down for Clarke at the plate as the rookie’s work paid off.

“The results obviously are helping build confidence in the adjustments he’s made,” Kotsay said.