Athletics cut two pitchers from the 40-man roster, clearing space after paternity and IL updates

The Athletics made two corresponding roster moves on Friday, tightening their 40-man count after reinstatements for two pitchers. Oakland announced that left-hander José Suárez has been reinstated from the paternity list, and that right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. has been restored from the 15-day injured list. To make room for the additions, the club designated left-hander Matt Krook and right-hander Geoff Hartlieb for assignment, bringing the Athletics’ 40-man roster total down to 38.

In MLB roster terms, a designation for assignment starts a limited window in which a team must either trade the player, place him on waivers, or release him. The announcement does not specify whether Oakland intends to keep Krook or Hartlieb within the organization through waivers, but it does confirm the organization’s immediate need for roster flexibility tied to Suárez and Leiter Jr.’s availability.

The Suárez reinstatement suggests the Athletics have cleared personnel time for a pitcher who has been away from team duties related to the paternity list designation. The Leiter Jr. activation, meanwhile, indicates his stint on the injured list has reached the point where he is eligible to return to the active mix again. Together, those updates forced Oakland to rebalance who is occupying protected roster space during the busy mid-summer portion of the season.

Oakland’s summer moves also fit a broader pattern of operational churn around pitching depth, an area that has been a frequent talking point in local analysis. Athletics Nation, for example, has argued earlier in the season that the Athletics have struggled to find consistent, end-to-end production from both starters and the bullpen, particularly in the absence of a clear shutdown relief presence after recent bullpen turnover.

That context matters because designations like these are often less about one specific outing and more about roster construction. When a team brings back pitchers who are ready to contribute, it may need to choose between retaining fringe roster arms and moving others off the 40-man to preserve flexibility for future promotions. Krook and Hartlieb now become the primary decisions for Oakland: they can be claimed, absorbed by another club, or potentially re-enter the organization if they pass through the waiver process unclaimed.

For Athletics fans, the next practical question is how Oakland will fill the two open spots once the designation period runs its course. If either Krook or Hartlieb is claimed by another team, Oakland would effectively lose a depth option and may need to replace him. If they clear waivers, Oakland could seek to send them to the minors while keeping them in the broader pitching pipeline.

For the pitchers involved, the stakes are straightforward. A DFA can be a springboard to a new opportunity elsewhere, or it can be the start of a return to the organization’s minor-league staff. Either way, Friday’s announcements clarify that Suárez and Leiter Jr. are now ready to factor into Oakland’s active plans, forcing Krook and Hartlieb to navigate the waiver and roster-decision process.