Elephant Rumblings: Seth Brown out for 4-6 weeks

Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!

The A’s have been scoring runs in fits and spurts this season. They managed eight runs in yesterday’s game against the Orioles after scoring just one in the three games prior. Unfortunately, those eight runs didn’t provide enough run support for A’s pitchers, who continue to put up positively disastrous numbers.

So the A’s are now sitting at 2-9. They’ve lost six in a row, and have yet to win one on the road this season. My analysis: they need to score more runs, and allow far fewer. But yesterday’s news does not bode well for the team in the scoring of runs department.

The A’s erratic offense will likely be missing one of its best power bats for at least a month, as Seth Brown was diagnosed with an oblique strain that will keep him out of the lineup for an estimated four to six weeks per manager Mark Kotsay.

Brown was off to a slow start this season, slashing just .200/.250/.367 before the A’s put him on the 10-day IL on Monday. This latest setback will make it that much harder for Brown to get going and punch his ticket to a contending team before the trade deadline.

Brown’s absence has opened up a roster spot for Kevin Smith, who has had a fantastic spring both in preseason and Triple-A play. Smith has started two games at shortstop this week, and he went 2-for-5 with an RBI in yesterday’s game, though he has also struck out five times in nine at-bats since arriving in Oakland.

It’s too early to draw any conclusions about how Smith will far this time up in the bigs. But it isn’t too early to conclude that this A’s roster desperately needs to get a fresh notch in the win column. A quality demonstration of command from struggling Ken Waldichuck plus more offense like yesterday’s might make it happen. Let’s go, Oakland!

A’s Coverage:

• Hardin: Ryan Mountcastle’s career night dooms Oakland in 12-8 loss
• Dierberger: A’s outfielder Brown to miss 4 to 6 weeks with oblique strain
• Shea: A’s finances: In the red, the black, or singing the blues in pursuit of a new stadium? ($)
• Gallegos: A’s legend Braden gets taste of coaching

MLB News & Interest:

• The Athletic: MLB small sample size theater: One positive trend for each team that could be real ($)
• Rosenthal: Mets trying to follow Dodgers’ success, but Max Scherzer is a departure from the model ($)
• Franco: Xander Bogaerts Discusses Free Agency
• Adams: White Sox Place Tim Anderson On Injured List
• Rosenthal: The base-stealing technique that has Yankees looking ‘like Usain Bolt,’ and others following ($)
• Today in Baseball History

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