The Athletics got a little bit closer to being fully healthy with the return of one of their starters before the start of the club’s six-game series in Las Vegas.
The A’s announced that infielder Max Muncy has been activated on Monday prior to their first of three games against the Milwaukee Brewers after missing nearly six weeks due to a left hand injury.
Muncy played third base and hit fifth in the lineup for the A’s against Milwaukee in his return to the club.
“Max had a pretty good rehab stint, hit a couple homers here in this last week,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said before Monday’s game. “We felt the timing was right. He’s healthy. Seems to be having consistent at-bats. His rhythm, timing was there, so we brought him back tonight.”
Muncy had just completed a rehab stint with the Aviators this past week where the A’s 2021 first-round pick went 10-for-27 in seven rehab games in Triple-A.
“Muncy’s awesome. He brings power, he brings energy,” 2025 AL rookie of the year Nick Kurtz said of Muncy.
“He’s a great locker room guy, whether he’s playing or not. He’s one of my best friends, so happy to see him come back and he’ll provide a good spark for us in the lineup.”
The A’s optioned infielder Darell Hermaiz to the Aviators to make room for Muncy. Kotsay said Muncy was put a third base because that’s where he was playing before the his injury, but added that Muncy could still move around the infield.
What’s more important to Kotsay, he said, was the spark Muncy can bring to the lineup to help create more scoring opportunities.
“We’re still searching for that success and that lineup can produce those runs, and I think Max will help with that,” Kotsay said. “He helped with that before his injury with the slugging he can create, so we’re excited to have him back.
Muncy entered Monday hitting for a .239 average in 92 at-bats. His last MLB game prior to his injury was April 25.
Aviators praised for development
Scanning through the A’s roster, most of their players have spent various amounts of time in Las Vegas with the Aviators in Triple-A.
Kostay credited Aviators manager Fran Riordan for his young players’ developments.
“(Riordan’s) done a phenomenal job managing (the Aviators) here in Vegas,” Kotsay said. “It’s a tough job to do, you’re handing players that move from the big leagues to the minor leagues.”
The core of former Aviators have helped the A’s get to 76 wins and exceeded expectations in 2026. That’s continued into this year with the club entering Monday 2.5 games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners and a game out of a wild-card spot.
“Fran’s done an unbelievable job, his tenure has been very successful,” Kotsay added. “We’re really happy that we have a Triple-A manager that can manage players both from a developmental standpoint and also from the challenges that they face with all the unknowns.”
One example this season is outfielder Henry Bolte, who was called up to the A’s from the Aviators on May 12. Bolte is the A’s No. 5 prospect, according to MLB.com.
In 68 at-bats entering Monday, Bolte is hitting .309 with 21 hits, five RBIs and four stolen bases.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to spend two spring training’s with the big league team, so it’s a familiar group where I know a lot of the faces, so that’s been helpful,” Bolte said. “The game’s been great, so we’re trying to win ball games. I’ve been having a blast.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
