Soderstrom entered the day tied for the MLB lead in home runs with six. He took over that pedestal in the opening inning with a 388-foot (107.2 mph EV) three-run blast off of Sean Burke before an out had been recorded. He then crushed another three-run shot in the sixth inning, that time a 423-foot (109.6 mph EV) majestic blast off of Penn Murfee. Soderstrom also singled in the ballgame, finishing the night 3-for-5 with three runs scored. He’s slashing an absurd .328/.403/.734 to go with his league-leading eight homers and 17 RBI.

Soderstrom put the A’s on the board with a base hit in the fourth to drive in Jacob Wilson. He then crossed the plate to score on a groundout later in the inning. The 23-year-old first baseman is off to an early breakout, slashing .321/.397/.679 with six homers over 63 plate appearances. Perhaps the most impressive part his success is the 19 percent strikeout rate.

It’s an extremely encouraging sign that Soderstrom is feeling ready to go after making a precautionary early exit from Tuesday’s game with right calf tightness. The 23-year-old emerging middle-of-the-order force has gotten off to a torrid start at the dish, batting .378 (17-for-45) with six homers through 12 games.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay told reporters afterwards that he wanted to get Soderstrom off his feet once his calf started tightening up towards the end of Tuesday’s high-scoring slugfest. It certainly sounds like a precautionary exit, but fantasy managers should continue to closely monitor his status. The 23-year-old slugger has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball so far, batting .378 (17-for-46) with six homers through 12 games.