Luzardo Still Out; Athletics Rotation May Need Adustment to Compensate

While Mike Fiers returned to the A's for Tuesday's workout, Jesus Luzardo did not. Manager Bob Melvin said there was a chance that this could impact the A's starting rotation when the season opens July 24 against the Angels in the Coliseum. Chris Bassitt, who started much of last year, is the likeliest candidate to fill in.

It’s too early to know for sure, but there’s a possibility that the Oakland A’s won’t be opening the season with the starting rotation they thought they would.

Two starters, Mike Fiers and Jesus Luzardo, missed the first couple of workouts, and while Fiers was back on the field Tuesday, Luzardo was not. The A’s aren’t saying what the issue with Luzardo is, but his absence could create an opening.

Manager Bob Melvin, asked if the club was getting to a point where the absence might impact the rotation, said “Could be.”

Later, he expanded, saying “we’ve had a little bit of a setback here early on.”

”We’ll get that figured out as we go along,” he said. “At his point, there are three or four guys I’d be comfortable with on the staff. “

First up would most likely be Chris Bassitt, who was able to make 25 starts for the A’s last year, going 10-5, and who in March was going to be in the rotation to begin the season if starter A.J. Puk wasn’t stretched out.

Daniel Mengden is still on the 60-day injured list, but he’s healthy and Melvin has already indicated that Mengden would be a candidate if the need came up. And Daniel Gossett and Paul Blackburn might be other candidates.

Luzardo, 22, came up last September and pitched exclusively out of the bullpen. The lefthander is rated the No. 1 prospect in the Oakland organization, and he showed signs of being ready. In the first part of spring training before baseball’s shutdown he’d pitched three times, had a 1.08 ERA and struck out 18 men in 8.1 innings.

Melvin said the team had a great, if late-starting, first full workout Monday night, and a simulated game is on tap for today at the Oakland Coliseum.

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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