Manager Mark Kotsay indicated Aug. 11 that Kurtz may be done for the season after receiving a PRP injection for his strained right thumb, and the move to the 60-day IL guarantees the first baseman is done for 2026 since the A's are unofficially out of the playoff hunt, and he won't be eligible to be reinstated until after the end of the regular season. The 23-year-old was unable to fully replicate the 36 homers and 1.002 OPS he posted as a rookie last year, but he was still plenty productive in 2026 with 21 home runs, seven steals, 69 RBI, 62 runs and a .256/.396/.483 slash line in 99 games.

Kurtz received the injection when he initially landed on the injured list last week with a strained right thumb. He's scheduled to shed his brace at the beginning of September, but with the 47-72 A's well out of the race for a postseason berth, the team likely won't be in much of a hurry to bring him back. If the Athletics opt to shut Kurtz down for the year, Jeff McNeil and Tommy White figure to split reps at first base for the rest of the season.