Josh Reddick is hurt and the A’s season got worse

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The A’s are 19-23, five games back in the AL West and four games back of a Wild Card spot already. It’s surprising their record is even that good, as they’ve been outscored by 42 runs, have just one starter pitching even adequately, and run out a lineup full of holes each night. They seem directionless at the moment, as no one could explain exactly what the sequel to Moneyball would be about if you based it on their current team. Things are not going to get easier, either, as Josh Reddick -- the team’s most reliable and best position player -- is now out for four to six weeks with a fractured thumb.

Reddick was hitting .322/.394/.466 before the injury, precisely the kind of line a player hopes to put up before they hit free agency. Reddick’s deal with the A’s is up after this season, and while there has been talk of an extension, nothing is reportedly close: the chance exists that Reddick is dealt at the trade deadline to help give the A’s some of that missing direction. Of course, if he’s out until July, needs to go on a rehab assignment, and maybe doesn’t come back hitting as well as he did before breaking a bone in his hand, then that could hurt both Reddick as a free agent and the A’s attempts to deal him for a significant haul.

That’s obviously some worst-case scenario talk there: Reddick could be back in four weeks and pick up where he left off. The A’s are worse without him in the lineup, but he’s also not the difference between them making the playoffs or not -- not when the appeal of Rich Hill’s excellent season starting is that the A’s can trade him in July, too. Both the A’s and Reddick will have to hope he’s back soon and that there are no lingering effects from the injury, as more than 2016 depends on it for both of them.