Zack Gelof needed one more hit to tie Jason Giambi’s 25-game streak. The Oakland Athletics star entered Tuesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants with a 24-game hitting streak. He had already passed Lawrence Butler’s recent 20-game mark. But bad luck ruined his historic run.

“Zack Gelof left the game after being cleated by Matt Chapman. Gelof’s exit snaps his 24-game hit streak,” Talkin’ Baseball shared via X.

The painful injury happened in the second inning. Giants batter Matt Chapman hit the ball and tried to stretch it into a double. Gelof caught the throw at second base to tag Chapman out. But as Chapman slid, his metal shoe stepped right on Gelof’s bare right hand. Gelof fell in pain as blood covered his hand. He immediately went back to the dugout and was replaced by Jeff McNeil. Because Gelof played in the first inning without getting a hit, leaving early officially ended his 24-game streak.

This hand injury is very frustrating because it is Gelof’s second scary moment in less than a week. Just days earlier, on Friday, June 19, Gelof suffered a head scare after a pitch hit his helmet. He rested on Saturday but rushed back on Sunday.

The only positive was that a serious injury might have been averted. X-rays revealed no fracture or stitches required.

“There is a laceration to the hand,” A’s manager, Mark Kotsay, said. “No stitches required. Pretty much got him just on the top between the thumb and the index. There is some swelling. No fracture. The X-ray was negative. Best positive outcome for that situation.”

According to Kotsay, the 26-year-old will be on a day-to-day basis.

“Pretty much got him just on the top, kind of in between the thumb and the index,” Kotsay said. “There’s some swelling. … Best positive outcome for that situation. It’s just unfortunate for him with the hitting streak that circumstances took him out of the game, and the hitting streak comes to an end.”

Over the past month, Gelof has emerged as the A’s one of the most valuable names. In June, he’s hitting .348 with five HRs, including the 24-game hitting streak.

Gelof hitting the IL means the A’s 38-41 record takes another hit, perhaps their worst. However, 2026 is proving that the A’s offense is more than a one-man army.

The A’s offense is more than Zack Gelof in 2026

The A’s offense is currently ranked 12th in terms of total runs scored (365). They are also 5th in terms of hitting home runs (105). The major credit goes to Nick Kurtz. He is emerging as an absolute powerhouse for the club. Recently leading the league in June home runs and proving to be a highly productive run producer.

Then there’s Shea Langeliers. He is serving as a fixture in the middle of the order. He consistently sits near the top of the league in home runs (19). However, the defense is not looking as fair as their offense.

Currently, the A’s are ranked 29th in terms of ERA (4.98), and JT Ginn is currently leading the pitching stats with 73 SOs. In comparison, Jacob Misiorowski is leading the league with 138 SOs. Offseason signings like Scott Barlow and Mark Leiter Jr. (4.85 ERA) failed to provide stability, with Barlow already being designated for assignment.

The A’s are ranked second in the AL West and 3 games behind the division-topper Seattle Mariners. A few trade deadline additions to their pitching staff would thus be beneficial to bet on a playoff spot. For now, though, the A’s fans would expect to get back Gelof at the earliest.