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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Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, front, celebrates after tagging out Tampa Bay Rays' Brandon Lowe (8) at home during the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Rays' Brandon Lowe (8) reacts after being tagged out at home by Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) during the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Rays' Brandon Lowe (8) is tagged out at home by Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, right, during the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Athletics' Shea Langeliers hits a three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Monday, June 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Athletics' Shea Langeliers rounds the bases after his three-run home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Monday, June 30, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge has halted efforts by the Trump administration to collect data that proves higher education institutions aren’t considering race in admissions.

The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in Boston on Friday granting the preliminary injunction follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month by a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general. It will only apply to public universities in plaintiffs

The federal judge said the federal government likely has the authority to collect the data, but the demand was rolled out to universities in a “rushed and chaotic” manner.

“The 120-day deadline imposed by the President led directly to the failure of NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) to engage meaningfully with the institutions during the notice-and-comment process to address the multitude of problems presented by the new requirements,” Saylor wrote.

President Donald Trump ordered the data collection in August after he raised concerns that colleges and universities were using personal statements and other proxies to consider race, which he views as illegal discrimination.

In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled against the use of affirmative action in admissions but said colleges could still consider how race has shaped students’ lives if applicants share that information in their admissions essays.

The states argue the data collection risks invading student privacy and leading to baseless investigations of colleges and universities. They also argued that universities have not been given enough time to collect the data.

“The data has been sought in such a hasty and irresponsible way that it will create problems for universities,” a lawyer for the plaintiffs, Michelle Pascucci, told the court, adding that the effort seem was aimed at uncovering unlawful practices.

The Education Department has defended the effort, arguing taxpayers deserve transparency on how money is spent at institutions that receive federal funding.

The administration's policy echoes settlement agreements the government negotiated with Brown University and Columbia University, restoring their federal research money. The universities agreed to give the government data on the race, grade-point average and standardized test scores of applicants, admitted students and enrolled students. The schools also agreed to be audited by the government and to release admissions statistics to the public.

The National Center for Education Statistics is to collect the new data, including the race and sex of colleges’ applicants, admitted students and enrolled students. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has said the data, which was originally due by March 18, must be disaggregated by race and sex and retroactively reported for the past seven years.

If colleges fail to submit timely, complete and accurate data, the administration has said McMahon can take action under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which outlines requirements for colleges receiving federal financial aid for students.

The Trump administration separately has sued Harvard University over similar data, saying it refused to provide admissions records the Justice Department demanded to ensure the school stopped using affirmative action. Harvard has said the university has been responding to the government’s requests and is in compliance with the high court ruling against affirmative action. On Monday, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights directed Harvard to comply with the data requests within 20 days for face referral to the U.S. Justice Department.

President Donald Trump arrives to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)