Elephant Rumblings: Butler A Question For Opening Day?

MESA, AZ - FEBRUARY 18: Lawrence Butler #4 of the Athletics takes live batting practice during a spring training workout at the Lew Wolff Training Complex on February 18, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images Morning everyone and welcome back to Frid

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Morning everyone and welcome back to Friday!

The Athletics’ Opening Day is exactly two weeks away. That means big decisions are coming all across the team soon enough. From who lines up at the hot corner (looking like Max Muncy has won that job), to the back half of the starting rotation, to the bullpen and the bench spots, manager Mark Kotsay is going to be having to make some serious choices here in the next few days.

One of the bigger decisions he will have to make is in regards to right fielder

Lawrence Butler. One of the four core players the front office has already signed to an extension, Butler seemed to emerge as a difference-maker during the second half of the 2024 campaign, his first real extended look in The Show. He hit an amazing .300/.345/.553 with 13 home runs in just 61 games, which when combined with his above-average defense in right field made him look like a budding star. That was enough for the front office to make him the second extension they came to, mere months after locking down Brent Rooker.

The first season of his new deal didn’t go as the A’s or Butler had hoped though. His stats fell across the board in almost every category, all while maintaining a .304 batting average on balls-in-play so it’s not like he was getting suddenly unlucky. It’s not what the A’s had envisioned for Butler but after the season we were all informed that the 25-year-old was playing on a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. That injury had to have had some effect on his performance, right? Especially considering how he struggled much more significantly in the second half (.203/.268/.351).

The hope is that that major injury was the cause of Butler’s regression in 2025. The left-handed swinger was expected to be a crucial part of any A’s success last year and those expectations remain high in what’ll be his third full season as a big leaguer.

He’s yet to get into any spring action though and we’re really running out of time to get him ramped up. Kotsay doesn’t think so at this point, saying that Butler has been getting his at-bats in the batting cage and in games against minor leaguers. Not exactly what A’s fans would hope for but at least he’s been active and getting reps with his bat. And Butler agrees:

“I feel great at the plate,” Butler said. “I’m glad they’re letting me get all these at-bats to let me continue to work on my approach at the plate. I might not run after I hit, but I’m still getting the reps in that are needed for me to be ready for the regular season.”

Despite the serious nature of the injury it seems that he’s suffered no setbacks and is feeling ready for the upcoming grind of a six-month baseball season. The biggest and final thing for him to do is start playing in the outfield, which he has yet to do in any capacity so far this year. It sounds as though the tentative plan is to get him into some game action this coming week, but whether he plays on the grass or is merely DH’ing is unknown at this point.

Hopefully he can log some time in right field before camp is over, because Butler’s needed out there with our guys. With Rooker’s presence taking up the DH spot there isn’t a chance to exclusively put Butler’s bat in the batting order during the first few weeks of the season if he’s not ready for defensive duties. That could mean a season-opening IL stint for Butler, where he can continue to build strength in his knee and get some action reps in the outfield down in Triple-A with the Aviators.

Where would that leave the big league club for the first few weeks of the season? Firstl looking at players currently on the 40-man roster, former top prospect Colby Thomas seems like he would be the logical bet to get some at-bats in right field but the right-hander is just 4-for-28 this spring with seven punchouts, and he also struggled last year in his first taste of big league pitching. Carlos Cortes could be an option, and he’s a switch-hitter, but he’s just 3-for-9 this spring and has been with Team Puerto Rico for the past week-plus and is just 3-for-13 playing for his national team. If the plan is a platoon in right field while Butler’s on the shelf then Cortes would likely be in the lineup for Opening Day considering the Blue Jays will be sending right-hander Dylan Cease to the mound.

Jeff McNeil was always expected to get some outfield work this year and has played 124 games there in his career, but the A’s brought him aboard to play second base. The A’s could, but almost certainly won’t, send Rooker out to the grass, though he made 20 starts in right field last year. Andy Ibanez is the only other player on the 40-man roster to have played right field in the big leagues, and that was just seven starts back in 2023.

If the A’s were feeling a bit bold, however, they could turn to their minor league system, where top prospect Henry Bolte is itching for his chance. The 22-year-old outfielder has been having an amazing camp, opening the eyes of both the watching fans and the coaching staff. The right-handed hitter wouldn’t be a perfect one-for-one replacement for Butler, as the lefty-swinging Butler has more pop but Bolte has more speed. Which isn’t how the A’s offense plans to operate this year but it could be a change of pace for opposing pitchers to deal with him on the basepaths. He has only played 34 games at Triple-A however so some more seasoning in Las Vegas already seemed in order (though he tore the cover off the ball in that short sample with the Aviators).

How do you guys think the right field situation is going to play out? Is Butler really going to beat expectations and be in the lineup Opening Day in Toronto? Or will the A’s turn to a Plan B that sees the A’s just try to get by while waiting for his return? Or do the A’s get aggressive with one of their top prospects who has been hitting the ball fantastically all spring? Comment and debate below!

And of course, have a good weekend guys.