Tyler Soderstrom was back in the Athletics lineup Friday night, returning after missing two games because of whiplash as Oakland opened a three-game weekend series against the Guardians in Sacramento. The Athletics also had Shea Langeliers on baby watch, while Zack Gelof lined up in center field and Jeff McNeil returned to second base after sitting Thursday.
Soderstrom batted sixth in a lineup that also included Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Darell Hernaiz and Colby Thomas. Carlos Cortes was out of the batting order. The Guardians countered with left-hander Joey Cantillo, who came in with a 2.97 ERA over six starts and had never faced the Athletics, while J.T. Ginn started for Oakland with a 2.50 ERA in four outings, 15 strikeouts and seven walks.
The matchup carried more than early-season routine. Cleveland arrived at 16-16, while the Athletics finished April at 17-14, and both teams were treating the series as a first-place test against an opponent from a different part of the standings map. The Guardians had just come from playing the Royals, another AL Central team, and they were getting a closer look at Travis Bazzana, the first overall pick in the 2024 Draft, after he was called up a few days earlier.
That made the night more than a return game for Soderstrom. It was a gauge of where two clubs stood after a month of work, with the Athletics trying to keep their momentum intact and the Guardians trying to prove their.500 start was no mirage. If the lineup shuffle held and Ginn could keep missing bats the way he had through four starts, Oakland had the cleaner setup heading into the rest of the weekend.