Shea Langeliers hits a 3-run homer for the A's in his return from an oblique injury

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Shea Langeliers provided a big lift for the Athletics in his return from an injury.

Langeliers hit a three-run homer on Monday night, sending the A's to a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in the catcher's first big league game since he was sidelined by a strained left oblique.

Langeliers was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. He got hurt when he fouled off a pitch from Minnesota’s Kody Funderburk on June 5.

He connected with two outs in the first inning in the opener of a three-game series at the Rays, driving a 96 mph sinker from Drew Rasmussen deep to left-center.

Langeliers' 11th homer of the season had an exit velocity of 111.1 mph and traveled 408 feet.

“It got us out of the gate and you could see the life of the dugout wanting to just celebrate him coming back,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said.

The A's also brought up right-hander Justin Sterner and outfielder Colby Thomas from Triple-A Las Vegas. Outfielder JJ Bleday, catcher Willie MacIver and right-hander Tyler Ferguson were sent down.

Thomas, a third-round pick in the 2022 amateur draft, made his major league debut when he popped out as a pinch hitter in the eighth. He stayed in the game in left field and made a huge defensive play in the bottom half.

The game was tied at 4 when Thomas cut down Brandon Lowe at the plate when he attempted to score from second on Josh Lowe's single.

“For that young man to make that play in his very first game, stay under control and throw a strike, says a lot about his preparation, says a lot about what he's done to get here, not just offensively, but then defensively,” Kotsay said.

The 27-year-old Langeliers went 8 for 13 with a homer and four RBIs in three rehab games with Las Vegas before returning to the A's.

Langeliers was a first-round pick in the 2019 amateur draft. He is batting .237 with 30 RBIs in 57 games this year.

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