Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is starting in center field and batting ninth on Opening Day on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Angels and right-hander Shohei Ohtani. Ruiz has a clear path to the starting job in center field for the rebuilding A's after they traded Cristian Pache to the Philadelphia Phillies. He'll have a limited fantasy ceiling at the bottom of the order, but Ruiz should be plenty valuable in mixed fantasy leagues for his speed on the basepaths. The 24-year-old hit just .171 in his first 36 major-league plate appearances with the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers in 2022, but he also stole 85 bases in 114 minor-league games.

Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said that outfielder Esteury Ruiz has been told he will make the Opening Day roster. Oakland's No. 6 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, will now get a very good chance to be an everyday player for the rebuilding A's. He was dealt from the Milwaukee Brewers to the A's in the offseason after hitting .171 (6-for-35) with a double, triple, no homers and two RBI in just 17 games between the Brewers and San Diego Padres in his first MLB action. The 24-year-old stole a whopping 243 bases in his six seasons in the minors, so he's absolutely a prime stolen base target in fantasy drafts, especially if he starts seeing more playing time in center field over Cristian Pache.

The Oakland Athletics acquired catcher Manny Pina and super-utilityman Esteury Ruiz on Monday as part of a three-way swap that included the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves, according to a source. The A's also received pitchers Kyle Muller, Royber Salinas and Freddy Tarnok. Pina had wrist surgery in 2022 and only played in five games for the Braves. The 35-year-old veteran backstop should see considerable playing time alongside prospect Shea Langeliers next season for the rebuilding A's. Ruiz was sent to Milwaukee from San Diego in August in the Josh Hader trade. The 23-year-old struggled in his first 17 big-league games, going 6-for-35 (.171) with two RBI, three runs and a stolen base, but he posted a .900 OPS in Triple-A and stole 48 bases. Ruiz will be one to watch in deeper leagues with a chance to secure regular playing time in Oakland sooner than later.

Milwaukee Brewers outfield prospect Esteury Ruiz is up to 80 stolen bases on the season. Ruiz, 23, was one of the prospects received in the Josh Hader trade deadline deal and no matter the uniform, he continues to swipe bags like it's a piece of cake. The speedster opened the season in Double-A, but a hot bat to go along with his speed got him a promotion to Triple-A for 28 games with the Padres organization and he even got a cup of coffee with the big-league squad before being dealt. With the Brewers, he's mainly been in Triple-A, but did have a short stint with the big-league club earlier this month. Overall, Ruiz has hit .335 with 16 homers, 62 RBI and 80 stolen bases in the minors this season. Ruiz at his worst will provide fantasy managers with plenty of speed, but he will need to continue to swing the bat well at the big-league level to reach his maximum potential. At the moment, he is worth monitoring in dynasty leagues.

The Milwaukee Brewers optioned outfielder Esteury Ruiz to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday and reinstated infielder Mike Brosseau (oblique) from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. Ruiz has gone hitless in eight at-bats with two runs scored over three games after Milwaukee called up him at the start of September when rosters expanded. The 23-year-old rookie struggled in 14 games with the San Diego Padres earlier this year, too, before he was sent to the Brewers at the trade deadline, going 6-for-27 (.222) with two RBI, one steal and a run scored. In 99 minor league games in 2022, though, he's slashed .332/.450/.523 with a .973 OPS, 13 homers, 51 RBI, 100 runs scored and 70 stolen bases. The team's No. 8 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, should only be stashed in dynasty/keeper leagues.

The Milwaukee Brewers recalled outfield prospect Esteury Ruiz and right-hander Luis Perdomo from Triple-A Nashville with rosters expanding on Thursday. Ruiz, the team's No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will make his debut with Milwaukee after being acquired from the San Diego Padres last month in the trade that sent closer Josh Hader to San Diego. The 23-year-old hit an impressive .326/.383/.395 with no home runs, five RBI, 16 runs scored and 10 stolen bases in 22 games for Nashville. In his first 14 big-league games with the Friars earlier this year, Ruiz went 6-for-27 (.222) with no homers, two RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. He'll provide the Brew Crew with some outfield depth down the stretch as they look to earn a wild-card spot in the National League.