FSM Feature: Aviators Getting Denzel Clarke and Jacob Wilson in Town on Rehab Assignments as Brett Harris Gets an In-Game Call-Up to the Athletics

New FSM Feature: Aviators Getting Denzel Clarke and Jacob Wilson in Town on Rehab Assignments as Brett Harris Gets an In-Game Call-Up to the Athletics

Franchise Sports Media

Aviators are getting two old faces in Denzel Clarke and Jacob Wilson back on rehab assignments against the Tacoma Rainiers, as third baseman extraordinaire Brett Harris gets called up during game three.

After stints on the IL, the Athletics are sending shortstop Jacob Wilson and center fielder Denzel Clarke to the AAA-affiliate Las Vegas Aviators after both were cleared for full baseball activities earlier in the week. Clarke will join the fray on Friday, August 15, with Lopez reinforcing him for Saturday’s game against the Tacoma Rainiers. 

Clarke has been sidelined with a right adductor strain after running the bases against the Cleveland Guardians and has been out of action since mid-July. The injury was diagnosed as a Grade-2 strain and hopefully shouldn’t hamper Clarke in his return. Clarke has been a stud in center field since his time with the Las Vegas Aviators before his call-up, and looks to get back to form, locking down center field and making opposing hitters fear having a home run brought back into play. 

Any time Clarke is in the outfield, there is a chance of an all-time highlight waiting to happen. With two more years in the big leagues for Clarke to add to his resume, Clarke looks to not only be a fan-favorite, but a future Gold Glove candidate and all-time Athletic when the team finally arrives in the Las Vegas valley in 2028. 

Jacob Wilson and Denzel Clarke look to add a veteran presence to a young Aviators roster looking to find consistency down the stretch. 

Wilson, who was hit by a pitch and has been sidelined since late July with a fractured forearm, should have a short rehab stint, per CBS Sports. Wilson was an MLB All-Star as a rookie, and if it weren’t for the injury and the stratospheric rise of fellow Athletics’ rookie Nick Kurtz, Wilson would be in the running for AL Rookie of the Year, as he was a heavy favorite before his untimely injury.

The Aviators will welcome Wilson back with open arms after a slow start to the second half of the season. The veteran presence and plate awareness of two big-leaguers who have found success for both the Aviators and Athletics should bode well for a roster that has seen a lot of turnover in recent weeks.

More than half of the Aviators’ lineup on Thursday featured players who didn’t take a single pitch for Las Vegas before the All-Star Break. Not to say that’s bad, though. While the Aviators have struggled as of late, going 18-24 so far in the second half of the season, Las Vegas has been able to capitalize on young talent coming up from the Athletics’ AA-affiliate Midland Rock Hounds. Henry Bolte, Junior Perez, and Drew Swift look to be the “new guard” coming in to lead the team down the stretch into the Pacific Coast League Championship Series starting September 24th.

Bolte runs the bases like home plate owes him money, going a perfect nine for nine on steal attempts, while Swift has filled the big shoes left by Darell Hernaiz after his July 29th call-up. Swift is a defensive menace hovering around the infield at the shortstop position and has hit a solid .357 across 46 at-bats in his first 12 games with Las Vegas. Junior Perez will probably be wearing green and gold soon, too, if he’s not careful. Perez has been a monster for Las Vegas since joining the club, hitting six home runs in 10 games, with his most recent going for a three-run jack out of center field to win game three for Las Vegas.

The Aviators look to finish their six-game homestand strong after a comeback win in game three against Tacoma.

While their time back in Las Vegas should be short, having Clarke and Wilson back in the Aviators’ uniforms should provide a much-needed spark to get things going down the stretch. Especially with third baseman and one of the Aviators’ team leaders, Brett Harris, seemingly getting a call-up after the first inning of Thursday’s game against the Tacoma Rainiers. While there is no mention of Harris’ promotion on the recent Athletics’ transactions, Harris was seen packing his bags and leaving the dugout after only one at-bat in the first inning.

During the broadcast, Russ Langer, longtime voice of the Las Vegas Aviators, said, “That can only mean good things.”

Follow Matthew on Instagram @conigliaromatt

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