SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 1: Jack Perkins #50 of the Athletics walks off the mound in the top of the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Sutter Health Park on August 1, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images Welcome to Tuesday A’s fans! The club can’t seem to get things right, even against a fellow bottom dweller like the Kansas City Royals. At 49-76 the team is tied with the Angels for the worst record in the sport. We need a win tonight or else we could be all alone at the bottom by the end of the day. The A’s will be hoping that right-hander Jack Perkins can play stopper and help get the A’s their 50th win. That could be a tall task however, considering the massive struggles Perk has seen this year. It’s easy to forget but the 26-year-old was considered one of the top pitching prospects in the system just last year. A former 5th round pick, the right-hander looked solid in a 12-game, four-start cup of coffee for his big league debut last year. There weren’t huge expectations for him this season, but there was an expectation he’d be able to hold himself. That hasn’t really been the case. There have definitely been flashes of brilliance that make us see what he could become but consistency has eluded him in his brief time as a major leaguer. Perhaps some of that has to do with the fact that he began the year in the bullpen before being promoted to the starting rotation. Some pitchers make that transition look easy but those guys are the exception and not the rule. It’s much more common to see guys such as Perkins go through some struggles during their first extended look in the big leagues. Struggles are putting it mildly for Perkins though. In the 11 starts since being slotted into the starting five the righty has an abysmal 8.17 ERA. Things aren’t exactly trending in the right direction either: he’s gotten shelled in his three August starts, allowing at least five runs in each appearance. That’s a streak that needs to stop tonight. Many of Perkins’ underlying numbers don’t look as bad as that ERA does, but they’re still not great numbers overall. A lot of this can be chalked up to rookie growing pains. Some can be attributed to the mid-season role switch. Some blame on the ballpark. Some blame on the defense. There’s plenty of blame to go around for his tough season, but most of it has to be on the pitcher himself. That’s not to say we should consider him a failed pitcher already. The thing we have to begin thinking about now though is what kind of role will he thrive best in? Is that going to be in the rotation, where he’s been among the worst in the sport this year? Or as a longman out of the bullpen who goes in short two, three inning bursts? The club will almost certainly add some starting pitching depth this offseason and push him down the depth chart, but the team would do well to pick a role for Perkins moving forward and sticking with it. What role should Perkins have on the next playoff contending A’s squad? We don’t know who will be opposing Perkins tonight in Kansas City to stay tuned. First pitch is at 4:40. See you all then, and have a great Tuesday! A’s Coverage:
A’s Drop Road Trip Opener 9-5 A’s Take Series Against Rangers, Win 5-2 A’s place Soderstrom on 10-day IL with left hip impingement; Hernaiz recalled Late Blast Lifts Rangers Over Athletics Jeff McNeil Leads A’s to 8-3 Victory Over Rangers Why The New GM Needs To “Clean House” 111 games, zero errors: Wilson sets MLB record at shortstop A Seemingly Rock Bottomless Glass MLB Trade Grades: A’s Have Quiet Trade Deadline A’s Top Prospect Jamie Arnold Sets Career High in One of His Best Double-A Starts Fustercluck 2026: The Real Reasons For A Disappointing Season Signs Of Hope And Signs Of Hopeless Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko says feeling in his legs returning Cuban’s investment group purchases minority stake in Athletics Chan Ho Park joins A’s group; 1st Korean to buy stake in MLB club Blogfather Saves The Day With Pearls Of Most Excellent Advice
MLB News and Interest:
D-backs star Marte placed on restricted list after not showing up at Fenway Yankees activate Carlos Rodon, place Max Fried on 15-day IL Cubs Place Edward Cabrera, Dansby Swanson On Injured List PCA 1st since 2010 with leadoff, walk-off home runs AL, NL Cy Young races seem all but decided as Schlittler, Miz dominate latest poll Two straight runners tested him at home. He fired 99 mph, 103 mph to nail them both! Mariners, Andy Ibáñez Agree To Minor League Deal Here are the current top prospects at each position Today in Baseball History
Best of X: Some major injury updates:
A’s injury updates: – Tyler Soderstrom will consult with hip specialists to determine best course of action. – Denzel Clarke begins a rehab assignment in Las Vegas tomorrow. – Springs will return to the rotation this week. – JKG has started light, non-impact activities. — Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) August 17, 2026
Prospect promotions:
Reported A’s milb transactions for Tuesday – Justin Riemer : MID > LV – Ali Camarillo : LAN > MID – Jared Davis : ACL > LAN Lots of Jacob Wilsons here. Riemer 15.1 K%, Camarillo 14.4%, Davis 22.4% while batting .300. Davis is a 2025 17th-round pick out of VA Tech. — BK (@athleticBsK) August 18, 2026
Maybe a Wink in our future?
When Houston released Jack Winkler after hitting .184 in Triple-A, he reached out to the #Athletics, who drafted him in '21. A back-to-basics approach & Kevin Kouzmanoff's guidance have Winkler thriving in Las Vegas.https://t.co/Mf7S9KeBp2 — Justin Lafferty (@jlaffertyLV) August 17, 2026
Haven’t seen that reported, any sources anyone?
Widely reported Wilson needs shoulder surgery in the offseason and is also battling knee tendinitis. #athletics are going to lose 100+ games, so why not shut him down, get the surgery done and give him six extra weeks for his knee to stop barking? 🤷🏾♂️ https://t.co/IbzbzYZhqF — Aaron Cameron (@ThatBootlegGuy) August 17, 2026