Nick Allen Injury News & Updates

Allen went 3-for-4 with an RBI single, a double and a run in a loss to the Angels on Sunday.

Allen heads into the offseason on a high note with his fourth three-hit game of the season and 10th multi-hit tally of the campaign overall. The 24-year-old's .221/.263/.287 slash line at the big-league level this season naturally left plenty to be desired, although Allen did slightly improve on the .207 batting average and .256 OBP he'd produced in his rookie 2022 campaign. Allen did at least seem to be making solid strides over the final week-plus, as he hit .385 (10-for-26) with a double, a triple, two RBI, two walks and four runs in his last nine games of the season.

Allen went 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk in a loss to the Twins on Wednesday.

Allen's three-bagger was the second of the season and his career, and it extended a brief but encouraging stretch of the plate for the young shortstop. The 24-year-old has hit safely in four consecutive starts, going 5-for-13 with a pair of walks and two runs in addition to Wednesday's three-bagger across 15 plate appearances in that span.

Allen went 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs in a win over the Tigers on Saturday.

Allen was able to set the table nicely for both Esteury Ruiz and Ryan Noda out of his No. 8 spot in the order, coming across to score on the former's third-inning home run and the latter's eighth-inning double. The young shortstop's season slash line is still sitting at an unsightly .208/.252/.269, however, and he has just a single extra-base hit, a double, over his last 22 games.

Allen is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros.

Allen has a .536 OPS through 10 games in September and will take a seat for Wednesday's series finale in Houston. Kevin Smith will step in at shortstop and bat ninth.

Allen is not in the lineup Sunday against the Rangers.

Kevin Smith will start at shortstop and bat seventh for the visiting Athletics. Allen went 0-for-6 with two walks in the first two games of the three-game weekend series and is slashing just .208/.254/.272 across 273 total major-league plate appearances this year.

Allen is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.

Aledmys Diaz will pick up the start at shortstop in the series finale while Allen rests after starting in both of the past two days. Unless the Athletics call upon Allen for a pinch-hitting appearance Wednesday, he'll finish August with a .271/.311/.414 slash line over 23 games.

Allen is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox.

Aledmys Diaz will step in at shortstop after Allen had started each of the past five games. Allen is maintaining a .262/.304/.415 slash line with three home runs and three stolen bases since the beginning of August, and though his production hasn't been anything eye-popping, it should be enough for the 24-year-old to hold down a near-everyday role for the remainder of the season.

Allen went 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and five RBI in Friday's 12-4 win over the White Sox.

Hitting out of the nine hole, Allen socked a solo shot off Tanner Banks in the seventh inning to cap a career day at the plate. The 24-year-old shortstop is showing signs in August he can contribute with his bat as well as his glove, slashing .279/.323/.443 through 20 games on the month with three homers, three steals, seven runs and nine RBI.

Allen is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Royals.

Allen went just 4-for-21 (.190) over his last six games, so he will get a day to clear his head. Aledmys Diaz will fill in at the shortstop position.

Allen isn't in Oakland's lineup Sunday against the Nationals.

Aledmys Diaz will fill in at shortstop while Allen rests Sunday. The 24-year-old infielder is slashing .308/.333/.577 with two homers and four RBI since the start of August.

Allen went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Friday's 8-2 loss to the Nationals.

The slick-fielding shortstop extended his hitting streak to a modest five games while also swiping a bag for the third straight game. Allen is still trying to prove he can contribute with his bat in the majors, and over his last 10 games he's batting .303 (10-for-33) with two homers, three steals, four runs and five RBI -- a massive improvement on his career .206/.253/.286 slash line in roughly a season's worth of playing time with the A's over the last two years.

Allen went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to the Rangers.

Allen has been a bright spot for the Athletics in August, going 6-for-17 (.353) over the last five games. His steal Tuesday was his second of the season in just his third attempt, so he's still not much of a threat on the basepaths. He's slashing .199/.242/.275 with three home runs, 11 RBI, 17 runs scored, two doubles and a triple through 186 plate appearances.

Allen went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Sunday's win over the Giants.

Allen knocked a two-run shot in the second inning followed by a solo homer in the fifth. Entering Sunday, the second-year infielder had just one home run through 59 games, and that long ball was hit May 16, 36 games ago. Even after the big performance, Allen is slashing .195/.240/.268 with 16 runs scored through 179 plate appearances.

Allen went 2-for-4 with an RBI triple, a walk and a run in a win over the Rockies on Friday.

The struggling shortstop was one of several Athletics bats to take advantage of the hitter-friendly environment of Coors Field in Friday's offensive breakout. Allen's triple was his first at the big-league level, and the multi-hit effort, his first since July 15, snapped the 24-year-old out of a 1-for-25 skid that had encompassed his previous eight games.

Allen is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros.

Allen has started at shortstop in eight of nine games since the All-Star break but will take a seat Sunday after he hit .154/.148/.154 during that span. Aledmys Diaz will bat ninth as Oakland's shortstop Sunday.

Allen will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.

Allen will pick up a sixth straight start at shortstop coming out of the All-Star break, but he may not have a long leash atop the depth chart. He's getting on base just 20 percent of the time thus far in the second half and has put together a .197/.243/.228 slash line across 139 plate appearances in the majors this season.

Allen went 1-for-3 with an RBI single and a stolen base in a loss to the Twins on Friday.

Allen put the Athletics' first run of the second half of the season on the board with his second-inning single, plating Shea Langeliers. The light-hitting infielder had gone 2-for-11 over his first six games back from Triple-A Las Vegas prior to Friday's single, and he's yet to prove capable of getting the better of big-league arms on a consistent basis through his first 453 MLB plate appearances over the last two seasons.

Allen was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Allen has collected a lowly .476 OPS during his time in the majors this season but got back on track at Vegas with a .922 OPS in 19 contests. He could see some action at shortstop.

Allen, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases in Triple-A Las Vegas' win over Reno on Wednesday, is hitting .400 (8-for-20) over the five games he's played for the Aviators since being demoted June 6.

A rough stint against big-league arms that saw Allen slash an anemic .167/.205/.167 across his last 15 games with the Athletics prompted the move back down to the farm. Allen struck out at just a 15.6 percent clip in that span, but a minuscule 9.1 percent line-drive rate helped lead to an atypically low .200 BABIP during the stretch. Now back in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, the 24-year-old looks like a different player, already racking up a trio of multi-hit efforts and four extra-base hits during his brief return. Allen owns a .354 average and .973 OPS at the Triple-A level overall this season (95 plate appearances), and given Oakland's non-contending status, he's virtually certain to get another look in the majors before season's end if he continues to thrive.

Allen was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Allen has made more starts at shortstop than any other Athletic this season, but even Oakland wasn't willing to put up with his .476 OPS anymore. Kevin Smith has been recalled to take Allen's spot on the roster and should see ample time at shortstop along with Aledmys Diaz.

Allen is absent from the lineup for Friday's game in Miami.

Allen has been the preferred option at shortstop for the Athletics since the beginning of May, but he'll sit this one out. Aledmys Diaz will get the start at short.

Allen is out of the lineup for Monday's game against Atlanta.

After starting each of the past four games and going 2-for-12, Allen's season-long batting average now sits at .200 for the season. Since he isn't hitting for much power and owns a weak 6.6 percent walk rate, Allen could be starting to lose some security as the Athletics' top shortstop. Oakland will turn to Aledmys Diaz as their starting shortstop and cleanup hitter Monday with the hope that he can offer more production from the position.

Allen is not in the lineup Wednesday night against the Mariners.

Aledmys Diaz is at shortstop and Tony Kemp will cover second base. Allen has shown a bit more life at the plate in recent weeks, but he holds an overall .205/.247/.260 season slash line.

Allen went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and a walk in an extra-innings win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Allen's third multi-hit effort in the last five games -- including his second three-hit tally in that span -- included his first home run of the season, a 381-foot shot to left in the third inning that knotted the game at 2-2. The young shortstop is hitting a blistering .474 over that five-game sample, raising his average a whopping 119 points to .217 in the process.

Allen went 3-for-5 with a run in a win over the Rangers on Friday.

Allen's multi-hit effort snapped an 0-for-13 slump that had encompassed his previous five games and was his first since first of the season. The young shortstop has struggled to a .152 average and .378 OPS across 51 big-league plate appearances thus far in 2023 and could be headed back to Triple-A Las Vegas in coming days if Aledmys Diaz (hamstring) is activated from the injured list Sunday as projected.

Allen is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

Allen started at shortstop in each of the previous three games but went just 1-for-10 with a walk and three strikeouts, dropping his season-long slash line to .105/.171/.132 across 43 plate appearances. Though he's been serving as the Athletics' primary shortstop while Aledmys Diaz (hamstring) has been on the shelf, Allen could be in danger of losing that role in light of his deep struggles at the plate. Kevin Smith will replace Allen in Wednesday's contest.

Allen will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Royals.

Allen will start at shortstop for the fifth time in six games despite going an unremarkable 2-for-12 with four strikeouts and one walk since being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday. He's poised to serve as Oakland's top option at the position while Aledmys Diaz (hamstring) is on the 10-day injured list.

Oakland recalled Allen from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Allen comes up to replace Aledmys Diaz after Diaz was placed on the 10-day injured list. In 17 plate appearances with Oakland prior to being demoted to Triple-A, Allen hit just .063, but he performed well in his time with Las Vegas and should see plenty of reps at shortstop with Diaz on the shelf.

Allen, who owns a .333 average and .934 OPS across 12 games at Triple-A Las Vegas since being optioned April 14, is a likely candidate to be recalled should Aledmys Diaz (hamstring) require a stint on the injured list, the team's official site reports.

Diaz exited Saturday's loss to the Reds with a left hamstring injury that manager Mark Kotsay labeled as likely serious enough to require an IL stint in his postgame remarks. Allen spent eight games with the Athletics to open the season and limped to an .063 average across 17 plate appearances, and he recorded 13 doubles and four home runs during his initial 100-game big-league stint last season, albeit as part of an unappealing .207/.256/.291 slash line.

Allen was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday.

After starting just 1-for-16 at the plate through his first eight games, Allen will return to the minors to right himself. The 24-year-old shortstop slashed .266/.371/.358 over 206 plate appearances in Triple-A last season. Tyler Wade was selected from Las Vegas on Friday in a corresponding move.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay announced that Allen will platoon with Aledmys Diaz at shortstop to start the season, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Allen will be in the lineup against left-handed pitching, while Diaz will see the bulk of the playing time against righties. Allen has enjoyed a solid spring training with a .310/.432/.448 slash over 13 games, but the slick-fielding infielder posted just a .547 OPS in his 100 games with Oakland over 326 plate appearances. Allen's defense gives him a chance to be a strong option up the middle, but it's doubtful that will bring any fantasy significance.

Allen, who is hitting .375 across 11 Cactus League games, continues in a heated battle with Aledmys Diaz for the starting shortstop job, Steve Stockmar of MLB.com reports.

Allen got the start Sunday against the Dodgers, and Stockmar reports the 24-year-old helped his case with an RBI and two stellar defensive plays. However, Diaz is also enjoying a successful spring at the plate, and manager Mark Kotsay is going to emphasize offensive upside in his decision-making process with respect to the winner of the job battle. "You look at the production offensively last year, we evaluate that," Kotsay said. "Obviously, we evaluate our offense last year as a group. We didn't score enough runs, and that's a necessity this year."

Allen is not a lock to open the season as the Athletics' starting shortstop, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Allen entered camp as the clear favorite to be the primary shortstop and probably still is, but when asked over the weekend whether Allen was the team's starter at short, general manager David Forst said, "I don't know that we have anything penciled in like that." Aledmys Diaz has mostly played shortstop in camp and is an alternative to Allen to start there, although he's likely to bounce around to other infield spots. While he offers solid defense, Allen batted just .207/.256/.291 in 100 games for Oakland last season.

Allen went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run in a win over the Angels on Monday.

Allen led off for the second straight game and made good use of the opportunity, generating his second multi-hit effort over the last seven games in the process. The rookie has picked up the pace at the plate in that span, generating three extra-base hits (two doubles, one home run), four RBI, two walks and three runs while striking out at a minuscule 3.8 percent clip.

Allen went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 10-3 win over the Mariners.

Allen provided some extra cushion for Oakland with his sixth-inning blast. The long ball was his first since Aug. 15, and he drove in a run for the first time in five games. The shortstop has seen steady playing time in the second half, but he hasn't done much at the plate throughout the year. He has a .208/.256/.294 slash line with four homers, 18 RBI, 30 runs scored and three stolen bases through 97 contests this season.

Allen went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Angels.

Allen provided most of the damage for the Athletics with a bases loaded double in the second inning which scored two runs; the third was thrown out at home. The rookie also recorded a base hit in the fourth inning, giving him his sixth multi-hit game on the season. The double was just his third extra-base hit of September, during which he is slashing .221/.254/,265 with a 21:3 K:BB over 71 plate appearances.

Allen is not in Sunday's lineup against the Mets, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Allen is hitting .233/.303/.233 with zero home runs and two steals over his last 10 games. Ernie Clement will start at shortstop and hit ninth.

Allen went 1-for-4 with an RBI single and a stolen base in a win over the Mets on Saturday.

Allen extended the Athletics' lead to 8-4 with his eighth-inning knock and subsequently swiped second base, snapping a brief 0-for-12 funk in the process. The 23-year-old has been reasonably productive at the plate over the last two weeks, hitting safely eight times in a nine-game stretch at one point in the sample while also recording two of his three steals on the season.

Allen went 2-for-2 with a walk and a run in a win over the Mariners on Tuesday.

Allen was busy on the basepaths throughout the night with his latest encouraging offensive performance. The 23-year-old has now hit safely in four straight -- and eight out of his last nine games overall -- cobbling together a .324 average and .367 on-base percentage over the latter stretch. With the Athletics closing the book on a non-contending season, Allen should continue benefitting from plenty of reps against big-league arms the rest of the way through an everyday role at shortstop.

Allen went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run in a win over the Astros on Saturday.

Allen led off the fifth inning with a single before swiping second and then coming home on Seth Brown's go-ahead three-run home run. The steal was only the rookie's second in four attempts this season, but he's shown some modest signs of life at the plate of late by hitting safely in six of his last seven games.

Allen went 1-for-4 with an RBI double and a run in a loss to the Rangers on Tuesday.

The rookie's fourth-inning two-bagger brought home Jonah Bride for Allen's first RBI since Aug. 30. The shortstop has shown some modest signs of life at the plate over the last three games, recording a hit in each while scoring twice overall. However, Allen remains mostly overmatched by big-league arms, as he's still carrying just a .205 average and .541 OPS across 81 games.

Allen is not in the lineup for Sunday's game at Baltimore.

Allen started the past 10 games and will head to the bench after he posted a .486 OPS during that span. Sheldon Neuse will take over at shortstop and bat eighth in Sunday's series finale.

Allen went 2-for-5 with an RBI single and a run in a win over the Nationals on Tuesday.

The rookie was part of a third-inning rally from a 4-1 deficit, with his timely knock driving in Jonah Bride. Allen has picked up the pace at the plate of late, as he now has a modest four-game hitting streak and has hit safely in eight of the last 10 games overall.

Allen is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Marlins.

Allen started the past 17 games, including six straight following the released of veteran Elvis Andrus, but the 23-year-old will head to the bench for Tuesday's contest. Sheldon Neuse will take over at shortstop and bat ninth.

Allen went 1-for-3 with one homer, one RBI and one run scored in Monday's loss to the Rangers.

The rookie shortstop took a 2-0 fastball from Glenn Otto 391 feet to left field for his third home run on the season and second in as many days. Despite the recent power surge, Allen should not be considered a home run producer as he never eclipsed six home runs in a single season in the minors. He should be considered a fringe option in deeper leagues down the stretch as his season-long slash is a lowly .214/.280/.318.

Allen went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Astros.

Allen launched a solo shot in the top of the eighth inning Sunday. It was his second home run of the year and his first since June 26. The second baseman has struggled for consistency this season, but is now in the midst of a three game hit streak and has gone 8-for-29 this month for a .276 batting average. Allen has improved his season batting average from .194 to .212 in his last 10 games.

Allen went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run in a win over the Angels on Thursday.

The young shortstop has hit safely in five of his last eight starts, although he's still carrying just a .197/.261/.276 slash line for the season. Allen does have three doubles over that span, and seven of his first extra-base hits at the big-league level have been two-baggers.

Allen is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Allen started the past four contests and will head to the bench after going 2-for-11 with two doubles and an RBI. Tony Kemp will shift to the keystone while Chad Pinder starts in left field.

Allen will start at second base and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the White Sox.

Allen is making his third straight start and appears to be picking up more playing time at the expense of Vimael Machin, who is on the bench for the second time in three contests. If Jonah Bride re-emerges as the Athletics' primary third baseman, Allen would face less competition for reps out of the middle infield.

Allen isn't starting Wednesday against the Astros.

Allen went 3-for-16 with a run, an RBI and three strikeouts over his first six games following the All-Star break, but he'll head to the bench for a second consecutive matchup. Tony Kemp is shifting to second base while Chad Pinder serves as the designated hitter.

Allen is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Astros.

Allen started the past three contests and will take a seat after going 2-for-10 with an RBI and a run. Jonah Bride will shift to second base while Vimael Machin starts at the hot corner.

Allen is not in the starting lineup Friday against the Rangers.

Allen will get a breather after he went 1-for-6 with two strikeouts while starting both games of Thursday's doubleheader with the Tigers. Tony Kemp will slide over to second base while Chad Pinder starts in left field and bats sixth in the series opener.

Allen is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros.

Allen will retreat to the bench for the series finale after going 2-for-15 with two runs while starting in each of the past four contests. The 23-year-old rookie is slashing an unremarkable .196/.271/.268 in 107 plate appearances on the season, but he should be in decent shape to hold on to a near-everyday role coming out of the All-Star break while the 31-61 Athletics continue to embrace a rebuild.

Allen isn't starting Monday's game against the Rangers.

Allen is getting a day off after he went 0-for-12 with a walk and three strikeouts over the last four games. Sheldon Neuse will take over at the keystone and bat ninth.

Allen went 2-for-3 with a run in a loss to the Mariners on Thursday.

Allen extended his on-base streak to nine games with his multi-hit effort, a span that encompasses the entirety of his current big-league stint after being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on June 21. The 23-year-old's surge has boosted his slash line to .250/.339/.385 across his first 59 plate appearances at the big-league level.

Allen went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Sunday's victory over the Royals.

Allen picked up both of his RBI on a late single, sending Chad Pinder and Cristian Pache to the plate. The shortstop has played in four games since June 21 and has a hit in three of them while only striking out once during that span. Allen may be earning himself some more playing time as he is slashing .273/.429/.636 this month.

Allen will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Royals, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Allen will stick in the lineup for the fifth time in six games, with three of his starts coming at second base and two coming at shortstop. The keystone looks like a clearer path to playing time for Allen, as the Athletics can move Tony Kemp off second base and deploy him in the corner outfield to facilitate room in the lineup for the rookie. Allen's stint as a near-everyday player will likely last as long as he remains useful at the plate. Through his first four games since his call-up from Triple-A, Allen has gone 3-for-11 with a home run, a double, three walks, three RBI and three runs.

Allen went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and two runs scored in Saturday's victory over Kansas City.

Allen sent Elvis Andrus home on an RBI double in the fourth inning, then came around to score two batters later thanks to a Jonah Brides single. Allen also scored on Tony Kemp's homer in the eighth inning. The shortstop has seen limited time this season, but played in four games this week and picked up a hit in three of them. Allen will have to continue to stay hot if he wants to stay in the lineup.

Allen went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 8-2 loss to the Mariners.

Allen provided the Athletics' only runs with his seventh-inning blast off Mariners starter Marco Gonzales. It was Allen's first big-league game since May 21, and the homer was his first career blast in the majors. He's still batting just .192 with two RBI and three runs scored through 29 plate appearances. A natural shortstop, Allen could challenge the struggling Elvis Andrus for playing time at that position, or he could see the short side of a platoon with Tony Kemp at second base.

Allen was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Allen will return to the big leagues after being sent down May 22. The shortstop has produced a .174 batting average with two doubles, two runs and a stolen base over 23 at-bats in two stints with the Athletics this season. With the team out of playoff contention, it's possible that the 24-year-old sees more run in the coming months.

Allen was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Allen was promoted from Las Vegas on Wednesday and will return there after going 0-for-4 in two appearances for the A's. He's unlikely to have much of a role in the majors while Oakland's infield remains in good health.

Allen was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Allen was sent down in early May, but he'll rejoin the major-league club after spending just over two weeks in Las Vegas. He's appeared in eight games for the Athletics this year and has hit .211 with two doubles, two runs and a stolen base. The 23-year-old should serve as infield depth now that he's back in the big leagues.

The Athletics optioned Allen to Triple-A Las Vegas following Monday's 6-1 loss to the Rays, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

His demotion likely clears a spot on the 26-man active roster for reliever Lou Trivino (illness), who appears ready to return from the COVID-19 injured list. After getting his first call to the majors April 18, Allen appeared in eight games for Oakland and went 4-for-19 with two doubles, two runs and a stolen base.

Allen went 2-for-3 with a stolen base in a loss to the Guardians on Saturday.

The rookie swiped his first major-league bag off the Shane Bieber-Austin Hedges battery while also contributing the first multi-hit effort of his career. Allen has posted a .222/.300/.333 slash line over his first 20 plate appearances while making appearances at second base and shortstop.

Allen will start at shortstop and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Rangers.

Allen is filling in for a resting Elvis Andrus on Sunday, but the rookie should see steady playing time at the keystone during the upcoming week at least until Oakland gets Chad Pinder or Jed Lowrie back from the COVID-19-related injured list. Through his first four big-league games, Allen has gone 2-for-12 with two doubles and a run.

Allen went 1-for-3 with a double and a run in a win over the Orioles on Thursday.

The rookie collected his first big-league knock with his seventh-inning two-bagger and subsequently came home on Sheldon Neuse's single. Allen's first two starts have come at second base, as manager Mark Kotsay has kept Elvis Andrus at Allen's primary position, shortstop, in both games.

Allen made his major-league debut in Tuesday's win over the Orioles, starting at second base and going 0-for-3 with a strikeout.

The defensive-savvy prospect is more renowned for his prowess at shortstop, but he's also logged 61 appearances at the keystone in the minors. Allen's promotion from Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday was the result of the Athletics' rash of COVID-19 absences, so his initial majors stint may not last but a few days.

Allen was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Allen missed out on Oakland's Opening Day roster but will now join the big club with six players heading to the COVID-19 injured list. It may not be a long stay in the majors for the 23-year-old, but he could see some opportunities with Jed Lowrie (undisclosed) and Chad Pinder (undisclosed) among the players sidelined.

Allen was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday.

Allen made a strong case for an Opening Day roster spot this spring by going 6-for-12 with a home run, two triples, three runs, three walks and three strikeouts across seven Cactus League games. While he'll head to Las Vegas to begin the regular season, the 23-year-old is a strong candidate to make his major-league debut for the rebuilding Athletics if he performs well in the minors early in the year.

Allen, who went 1-for-4 in a Cactus League tie with the Guardians on Saturday, is now hitting .500 (6-for-12) with two triples, a solo home run, three walks and three runs across his first seven exhibitions.

The fact the star defensive prospect is wowing with the bat certainly ups his chances of snagging an Opening Day roster spot, and the rebuilding Athletics appear to be looking for a way to do just that by testing out his elite glove at second base already this spring as well. Allen's current success with the bat isn't necessarily surprising, either, considering he's coming off having put together a stellar .319/.374/.471 line at Double-A Midland last season before generating a .243/.302/.301 tally at Triple-A Las Vegas across 39 games.

Allen went 1-for-2 with a triple and a run in a Cactus League loss to the Reds on Saturday.

It was encouraging for fantasy managers to see Allen, who's already considered an elite defender at shortstop, flash with the bat against big-league pitching with his leadoff triple in the fifth inning. The 23-year-old was impressive last spring with the bat as well with a .300/.344/.400 slash line in 31 plate appearances. After following it up with an even more impressive .319/.374/.471 tally at Double-A Midland, Allen struggled some against Triple-A arms at Las Vegas (.243/.302/.301 in 151 PAs), but a strong enough spring at the plate could conceivably see him latch on to a roster spot.

Allen was added to Oakland's 40-man roster Friday.

The move means Allen won't be available for selection in the Rule 5 draft. He still has to conquer Triple-A before pushing for a big-league roster spot, as he struggled to a .243/.302/.301 line in 39 games after a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas late in the year, but he should make his major-league debut at some point next season if all goes well.

The Athletics promoted Allen from Double-A Midland to Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The 22-year-old shortstop hasn't played for Midland since July 15, instead spending most of the past three weeks with Team USA in Tokyo helping the national team secure the silver medal in the Olympic Games. The Athletics evidently felt Allen's experience against higher-level international competition was enough to warrant a bump up to Triple-A, where he'll likely remain for the rest of the season. Over his 229 plate appearances at Midland, Allen slashed .319/.374/.471 with six home runs and an 8-for-14 success rate on stolen-base attempts.

Allen, who owns a .333/.389/.494 slash line with 13 extra-base hits and 25 RBI across 177 plate appearances for Double-A Midland, could exceed expectations whenever he makes his arrival in the majors, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Gallegos cites a text he received from an organizational source that noted Allen "is coming along like a freight train" and will be "better than advertised when he arrives." That's certainly lofty praise, but the 22-year-old has apparently earned it by producing his best professional season at the plate at his highest level of the minors yet. It's worth noting Allen has six steals and an acceptable 18.6 percent strikeout rate with Midland thus far, while his glove work is considered among the very best of any prospect throughout baseball.

Allen, considered the top defensive prospect at shortstop in all of baseball entering 2021, has played in seven of the Athletics' first eight Cactus League games, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. "This spring is important for [Allen]," manager Bob Melvin said. "He's a top prospect of ours, and we want to take a hard look at him."

The fact the 22-year-old has yet to play above the High-A level and lost a year of in-game action in 2020 will prevent Allen from opening the season any higher than Double-A Midland, but that doesn't necessarily rule out an ascension all the way to the majors at some point in 2021. So says Oakland's farm director Ed Sprague, who saw plenty of Allen at the team's alternate training site last season and was impressed with the prospect's developing plate skills. Allen will naturally need to continue demonstrating that offensive improvement at the minor-league level before a promotion is considered, but the consensus on his glove is that it's already major-league caliber.

Allen was invited to Oakland's big-league camp Monday.

The 22-year-old shortstop has yet to advance beyond High-A, but he looked quite good at that level in 2019, hitting .292/.363/.434 there for Stockton in 2019. His prospect profile is driven by his excellent glove, as he has very little power, hitting a grand total of four homers in 228 career professional games.