Athletics' Luzardo Returns; Likely to Begin Season Throwing out of the A's Bullpen
The A’s find themselves whole again today with the news that Jesus Luzardo has twice tested negative for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The rookie left-hander joined the team in Oakland Friday and threw an early afternoon Coliseum bullpen session of 30 pitches.
“It was amazing. It was probably the best day of 2020 for me,” Luzardo said via video conference call after a 30-throw bullpen session. “I was just going crazy locked up in a room. So being able to get back out here, to be back in the Coliseum and being around the guys, it was a lot of fun.”
Luzardo said he was able to go to an area little league field with some balls and a net to throw into. He hasn’t faced hitters yet; that will probably come Monday.
No one could have been happier than Luzardo, but A’s manager Bob Melvin was a close second. Melvin finally has all the pieces of his team together with a week to go before the season starts and, to this point at least, everybody is healthy.
He saw Luzardo throw Friday and will have him face batters on Monday, although not necessarily in the game against the Giants, the first of two exhibition games this week before the season begins Friday in Oakland against the Angels.
“We want to see how he does,” Melvin said. “The telltale for us will be when he throws to hitters on the 20th (Monday). Adrenaline, his command, my guess is that the stuff will be good. He was able to throw quite a bit during the down period, which enables him to be a little bit further along in the game than if he hadn’t.
“I’m very optimistic; I’ve been that way since spring training. I think everybody will feel that way, and the fact that we have everybody healthy here right now is another reason for optimism, so I feel good.”
Before the positive test, Luzardo was a lock for the A’s rotation. He was being talked about as a strong Rookie of the Year candidate. For now, however, it seems as if he will start the season in the bullpen until he can get his arm built up to be able to throw three or more innings.
Because of the throwing he was able to do during the quarantine, Melvin said Luzardo should be able to help the A’s sooner rather than later.
“This allows us to still have hope to have him here when we actually start the season,” Melvin said. “He felt great the whole time, and I think that was probably one of the most frustrating things for him is that he felt so good.”
Luzardo, who spent baseball’s downtime working out with, among others, fellow Oakland starter Mike Fiers, was the only member of his general circle to come down with COVID-19. None of his family ever tested positive, and while Fiers was held out for a couple of days, that was just a precaution. He, too, never tested positive.
“It wasn’t anyone’s fault, but it definitely was frustrating,” Luzardo said. “It was tough to see everyone back out there and having fun. Baseball is for me an escape. It was something I needed and I lacked, but I’m glad to be here now.”
Luzardo, an avid gamer, spent much of his free time gaming, although he admitted after a while even that was frustrating. But one thing it did was allow him to talk with fellow gamers like Fiers and roommate-to-be A.J. Puk.
“I got tired of playing video games and watching Netflix,” Luzardo said. “I would just catch myself doing mobility work of like an hour, and hour-and-a-half. It was stuff that normally I wouldn’t be so diligent on, so maybe in the end that will help me.”
Luzardo has almost always been a starter and always thought of himself as a starter. But last year when the A’s promoted him for the first time in September, he threw exclusively in relief, generally in high-pressure situations. In the postseason, he threw three scoreless innings at the Rays, although Tampa Bay would go on to eliminate the A’s with a 5-1 Wild Card win.
That work in relief, a combined 15 innings with two earned runs allowed, six hits, five walks and 20 strikeouts, could carry over to this season. Melvin says Luzardo will need to be built up to three or more innings before he’ll be considered for the rotation; meanwhile Chris Bassitt will begin in the rotation.
“I think (the 2019 experience) is actually huge for me,” Luzardo said, “the experience that I gained last year coming out of the bullpen. I threw one inning. I threw three innings, so I kind of did a little bit of everything. I think that’s going to help me a lot, especially if I’m not in the rotation.
“Whatever comes my way, I’m sure that we’ll figure it out.”
Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3
Click the "follow" button in the top right corner to join the conversation on Inside the Athletics on SI. Access and comment on featured stories and start your own conversations and post external links on our community page.