Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is out of the starting lineup on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians with a right-hander on the mound. Ruiz has started just one of his four games since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, and that one start came against a left-handed pitcher. The 25-year-old speedster has gone 2-for-7 with two home runs, three RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored since returning from the minors, but the A's apparently view him only as a platoon outfielder for now on the short side against lefties. Seth Brown, JJ Bleday and Lawrence Butler are starting from left field to right field across Oakland's outfield on Friday. For his speed alone, Ruiz is probably still worth keeping stashed as a bench option in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz went yard in his first start from the leadoff spot since March in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, smashing a two-run jack in the third inning and also stealing a base. Ruiz's homer was a 412-foot two-run shot that brought Max Schuemann around to score. The A's surprisingly sent the American League's 2023 stolen base leader to the minor leagues following only three games to start the 2024 season, but Ruiz is swiftly demanding the attention of fantasy managers after tearing it up in the minors. The speedy 25-year-old center fielder is now batting .357 (5-for-14) with two taters, four RBI, five runs scored, and two swipes in just six outings in the major leagues. He'll look to stay hot during a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians beginning on Friday. Across nine career games against Cleveland, Ruiz is hitting .333 (10-for-30) with five extra-base hits, six RBI, and four pilfers.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. This seems a bit odd after Ruiz blasted a solo home run off the bench during Monday's game. It'll be JJ Bleday continuing to start in center field with Lawrence Butler and Seth Brown in the corners. Ruiz should get his chance to start everyday at some point, but a bench role certainly hurts his fantasy value right now.

After being recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day, Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz provided the team with its only offense in Monday's loss versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Ruiz only got one at-bat in the contest as he was summoned to pinch-hit for outfielder Lawrence Butler in the bottom of the eight inning, but he made the most of it with a solo home run. Ruiz was mysteriously demoted earlier in the season, but he is back with the club now and should get plenty of reps in the outfield for Oakland. Power is not a big part of his game, but you are paying for his base stealing ability that is game changing with home runs being added value. Due to his speed, he is worth rostering in most formats, but managers should keep an eye on his playing time.

Oakland Athletics infielder J.D. Davis (groin) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday, and outfielder Esteury Ruiz was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Davis exited Sunday's 7-6 win over the Washington Nationals due to a strained right groin, and he'll need to spend some time on the shelf. The 30-year-old was operating as Oakland's primary third baseman, but he's batting just .196 (10-for-51) with two solo home runs over 14 games this year. The speedy Ruiz is available off the bench for the A's on Monday and could eventually reclaim his spot as the club's everyday center fielder after a spell in the minor leagues. The 25-year-old contact hitter slashed .326/.423/.581 with three homers, eight RBI, and seven stolen bases across 51 plate appearances in the minors, and he led the American League with 67 swipes a year ago. Ruiz should be added in fantasy for steals where available.

The Oakland Athletics optioned outfielder Esteury Ruiz to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday to make room for first baseman Tyler Nevin on the active roster. After hitting .254/.309/.345 with a league-leading 67 stolen bases in 132 games in his first year in Oakland in 2023, Ruiz's fantasy value has taken a huge hit early on in 2024 with the demotion. The 25-year-old speedster hit leadoff in two of the team's first four games this past weekend and went 3-for-7 with an RBI and a stolen base, but for now he'll head to the minors. Right now, Ruiz is the A's fifth outfielder behind JJ Bleday, Seth Brown, Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker. Ruiz could be back with the A's quickly if one of the aforementioned outfielders gets hurt, but for now, it's hard to justify holding him in shallow-mixed leagues.

Oakland Athletics outfield Esteury Ruiz pinch-hit and went 0-for-1 in Thursday's Opening Day loss versus the Cleveland Guardians. Ruiz came on for outfielder Lawrence Butler in the bottom of the eighth and popped out. Ruiz was a managers special in the speed department entering this spring, but really struggled in the Cactus League, while Butler was red-hot and earned not only an Opening Day roster spot, but also the start. Ruiz can be a difference maker in the speed department for managers, but that's dependent on his playing time and right now it looks like he is part of a platoon with the A's outfielders. Managers shouldn't give up on Ruiz yet, but may have to look other places for consistent speed on an everyday basis.

MLB.com's Martin Gallegos doesn't have outfielder Esteury Ruiz included in his projected Opening Day lineup, although he writes that the speedy outfielder should get plenty of at-bats this year. Instead, Gallegos has Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday and Seth Brown starting from left to right across the outfield. Bleday figures to start the year as the starter in center field for the A's, at least against right-handed pitching, which is a major knock to Ruiz's fantasy value for those seeking stolen bases. As a result, fantasy managers should expect fewer counting stats for the 25-year-old Dominican outfielder, but his elite speed is still worth chasing in mixed leagues. In his first year in Oakland in 2023, Ruiz hit .254 (114-for-449) with a league-leading 67 swipes in 132 games played.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz swiped 67 bags in 2023, but has yet to attempt a steal over his first eight Cactus League contests. Despite that, he's hitting a healthy .294 with one homer, one RBI and three runs. Ruiz is one of the few attractive A's players from a fantasy perspective and managers shouldn't be concerned with his lack of base stealing with him likely keeping him legs ready for the games that matter most. Ruiz is entrenched as an everyday player for Oakland and his steals alone make him worth drafting in all formats with anything else being a bonus.

Oakland Athletics rookie outfielder Esteury Ruiz put a bow on a fantastic year in the season finale on Sunday, a 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Ruiz finished the game 1-for-4 with an RBI, a walk and his 67th stolen base of the year, which broke the American League rookie record for stolen bases which was set back in 1992 by Kenny Lofton. His 67 steals on the year also led the entire American League. In a rough year for the A's in 2023, the 24-year-old Dominican's legs stood out. Overall, he hit .254/.309/.345 with just five home runs, 24 doubles, a triple, 47 RBI, 67 stolen bases and 47 runs scored in 497 plate appearances and 132 games. Ruiz doesn't stand out as a hitter, but for his wheels on the basepaths, he'll certainly be highly valuable in fantasy leagues again next year.

The Oakland Athletics were shut out 2-0 on Sunday by the Detroit Tigers, but outfielder Esteury Ruiz was still productive with a 2-for-4 day with a double, two stolen bases and a strikeout at the plate out of the leadoff spot. Ruiz leads the American League with 65 stolen bases on the year, and he's only three swipes behind the overall MLB leader, Ronald Acuna Jr. The 24-year-old Dominican has very little power to speak of, but his elite speed is a game-changer in fantasy leagues. He's also finishing the season strong with a .333/.360/.563 slash line with three home runs, two doubles, eight RBI, 12 stolen bases and six runs scored in 19 games (13 starts) so far in the final month of the year.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is not in the starting lineup on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. Ruiz once again finds himself on the bench against a right-handed starter as the Halos are rolling with Griffin Canning in this one. Ruiz had a big hand in the A's drubbing of the Angels on Friday, when he swatted a double and a home run to go along with two runs scored and swiped a bag. He's also slashing .462/.533/.846 with five stolen bases over the last seven games (13 at-bats). Overall, he's struggled since being activated from the injured list back on August 5, though, so Oakland will continue to bench him against right-handers. The speedy 24-year-old is slashing .251/.307/.338 with three home runs, 40 RBI, and 54 stolen bases over 391 at-bats. Tony Kemp, Lawrence Butler, and Seth Brown are making up Oakland's outfield on Saturday.

Oakland A's outfielder Esteury Ruiz was 3-for-5 at the plate with a two-run home run and a stolen base on Friday to lead the A's to a 9-2 victory over the Angels. Ruiz started his productive day with a single in the fourth frame and then crossed the plate on a Zack Gelof double. Later in the contest, the speedster smashed a double and then would go on to steal third base. The 24-year-old concluded his evening with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. This season, Ruiz has been sensational on the base path, stealing 54 bases in 108 games.

Oakland A's outfielder Esteury Ruiz is once again hitting out of the nine-hole Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners and right-hander Bryce Miller. It's not terribly surprising to see the 24-year-old hitting ninth but it does mark his second straight start out of the bottom of the order while Ryan Noda continues to see starts out of the leadoff spot. While he boasts elite speed with 51 stolen bases and 98th percentile sprint speed, Ruiz gets on base at a below-average .300 clip, thanks in large part to a minuscule 3.7% BB% that is the second-lowest mark among 137 qualified hitters. The perhaps near-permanent move to the bottom of the order doesn't hurt Ruiz's fantasy value much as he should continue to rack up a hefty amount of steals as a one-dimensional fantasy asset.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Chicago White Sox. This marks the third game in a row that Ruiz has sat out. It doesn't appear that Ruiz is dealing with an injury, so his absence is likely performance related. The 24-year-old does have 49 steals through 102 games this season, which is great to see. However, he's slashing .243/.298/.319 with some poor defensive metrics as well. Ruiz has sat out against the last five right-handed starters that the A's have faced. That being said, his fantasy value could be quickly dropping with the A's using Ruiz as mainly a platoon player now. Lawrence Butler will cover center field and bat seventh versus right-hander Touki Toussaint on Saturday.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is out of the starting lineup again on Friday with the team taking on the Chicago White Sox. With Ruiz slumping at the plate, the A's will give him a second straight day off to mentally and physically recharge. The 24-year-old speedster has really struggled offensively since returning from the injured list on Aug. 5, going 6-for-44 (.136) with a home run, two doubles, two RBI, six stolen bases and four runs scored in 16 games (12 starts). He's still plenty useful in all fantasy leagues with his American League-leading 49 stolen bases, he hasn't helped much elsewhere with only two home runs, 37 RBI and a weak .298 on-base percentage. Rookie Lawrence Butler is starting in center on Friday and is hitting seventh against White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is getting a day off on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox. Lawrence Butler checks in at center field to bat seventh versus right-hander Jesse Scholtens in this one. The 24-year-old Ruiz is hitless in his last 12 at-bats, so the breather here makes sense. Ruiz's AL-leading 49 stolen bases carry him to fantasy relevance, as he is otherwise batting a mediocre .243 with two home runs, 37 RBI, and 37 runs scored over 378 at-bats. The speedy center fielder remains worth holding for the steals, but his upside in a weak Athletics lineup is highly limited across the board.

Oakland A's outfielder Esteury Ruiz is back in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener versus the Kansas City Royals. The 24-year-old didn't start Sunday's series finale against the Orioles but grounded out in a lone pinch-hitting appearance in the seventh inning. It's been a tough rookie campaign for the speedster at the plate. Ruiz is hitting .248 with two homers, a minuscule 3.6% BB%, and a .629 OPS across 98 games played, production that sits 19% below the league average, as per his 81 wRC+. However, he has put his elite speed on display with 48 stolen bases on the season, good for tops in the American League and second only to Ronald Acuna Jr.'s 56. He will hit leadoff and take on Royals left-hander Tucker Davidson Monday night.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is out of the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. This appears to be a routine rest day for the 24-year-old speedster. This season, Esteury Ruiz is slashing .251/.304/.331 with 37 RBI and 48 stolen bases over 91 games. Tony Kemp, Lawrence Butler, and Seth Brown will cover the outfield versus right-hander Kyle Gibson on Friday. The expectation is that Ruiz will return to the lineup after this game.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Esteury Ruiz is out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Washington Nationals. This appears to be a routine rest day for the 24-year-old speedster. Ruiz recently came off the injured list and still leads the MLB with 46 stolen bases in 91 games this season. In his absence, Lawrence Butler will cover center field and bat seventh versus right-hander Jake Irvin. Fantasy managers should expect Ruiz back in the lineup after his rest day on Saturday.