Ramon Laureano exits Oakland A’s game with right leg cramp

Oakland A’s center fielder Ramon Laureano exited Saturday’s game with a cramp in his right leg.

The center fielder was activated from the injured list on Friday after missing more than a month to a stress reaction in his right shin. However, for now the hope is that this is not a recurrence of that issue.

“It’s just his right whole leg, kind of fatigue, so he had some cramping and stuff all over the place,” said manager Bob Melvin. “Hopefully, we don’t think it’s the same thing that was going on [with the stress reaction].”

Laureano began his night by fouling a pitch off his left shin in his first at-bat, though there is currently no indication that that’s any part of the problem. He later knocked an RBI single in the 4th inning, and then a double in the 6th inning, and both times as he ran the bases he looked visibly hindered. After the double, the trainer came out to check on him and he was lifted for a pinch-runner.

“Not as concerned as I was when I ran out there,” said Melvin. “He fouled a ball off his shin too today, and that was the other leg. Obviously it was a huge concern, you’re holding your breath when you go out there.

“He wasn’t going to play tomorrow anyway in the day game. We’ll give him tomorrow off and hopefully all this clears up and he’ll be ready to play after that.”

Laureano has been one of the A’s better players this season, and he was one of the hottest hitters in the majors in July before landing on the IL at the end of the month. In 22 games in July (88 plate appearances), he batted .392/.443/.838 with eight homers and nine doubles, and he won the AL Player of the Week award for the week ending July 21. Overall this season he’s racked up 3.1 fWAR and 2.9 bWAR, both of which rank fifth among Oakland position players despite his missing 32 games with the stress reaction.

Laureano, 2019: .281/.333/.512, 122 wRC+, 21 HR, 5.1% BB, 27.1% Ks

Here’s hoping this is just a brief bump in the road, and that the 25-year-old can indeed return to action next week as suggested. Best wishes to Ramon for a speedy recovery!