OAKLAND, CA - April 5: Ka'ai Tom #1 of the Oakland Athletics gets his first MLB hit during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at RingCentral Coliseum on April 5, 2021 in Oakland, California. The Dodgers defeated the Athletics 10-3. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
One had to wonder how long the Oakland A’s would be able to keep Ka’ai Tom on the active roster. Tom had impressed in spring training, but his struggles during the regular season had seemingly relegated him to the end of the bench. Then, when Chad Pinder was injured and the A’s found themselves without a viable backup at short, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Tom.