Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay addressed the media on June 16, 2026, crediting a combination of rest and a position change to first base for helping Jeff McNeil deliver a four-RBI performance.
Kotsay explained that McNeil had gotten off to a slow start after joining the Athletics, then picked things up before hitting a rough stretch. "He had a couple days off in Vegas to kind of reset and played first base, which was a change," Kotsay said. He added that playing a new position can shift a hitter's mental focus: "Sometimes that has a positive impact on your mindset. You just don't think about the hitting side of it." The same day off also benefited Kurt, who served as the designated hitter and, according to Kotsay, "comes out tonight refreshed" after grinding daily on the field. A reporter noted that Kurt is currently fourth in All-Star voting and that his OPS now exceeds his rookie-year figure.
Kotsay also praised the maturity shown by starting pitcher JT, noting that a defensive error behind him did not derail his outing. "Tonight we made a mistake behind him defensively and he kept grinding and got out," Kotsay stated. "For me, that's another step in JT's maturity." He cited Lawrence Butler as another player trending upward, tracing Butler's turnaround to a relaxed at-bat during the Houston series when he reached base on a ball off a left-handed pitcher's glove. "The hits are now going where people aren't, and that's a good thing for confidence," Kotsay added. Kotsay noted that the only player in the lineup without a hit was Carlos Cortez.
On the offensive game plan, Kotsay explained that the club targeted the opposing pitcher's pitch count from the start. "We wanted to get his pitch count up right away," he said. "We had him at 50 after two innings and you could tell the velo was down." A reporter confirmed the Athletics finished with 15 hits and 11 runs in the home opener, and Kotsay acknowledged it continued a strong stretch: "We continued offensively with what we've done over the last week. We swung the bats really well."
Kotsay also clarified a bullpen moment, noting that Morales had not been warming up during the fourth inning. "Morales wasn't warming up — let's clarify that. Morales got here late from a flight and was just playing catch in the bullpen," he explained. On the status of Civale, Kotsay deferred, saying he had not yet spoken with him and would make an announcement on June 17, 2026.