Athletics' Veteran Set for Rehab Start on Thursday

The A's have dealt with their fair share of injuries to begin the 2026 season, especially to their pitching staff.

Luis Severino headed to the Injured List following his start against the Yankees, and before that, veteran starter Aaron Civale was also placed on the IL. Certainly not the best news for the team as they look to make a playoff push this season.

Luis Severino may be out for a significant amount of time. 😵‍💫

While Mark Kotsay didn't want to go into the specifics, he did remind reporters that a shoulder injury like this one "will take time."

Not good news for the A's.#Athletics pic.twitter.com/VsKeIBUpIB
— Uprooted (@uprootedoakland) May 31, 2026

In that time, the A's have had plenty of new guys make some debuts, and some others step up and eat some innings for the team. Unfortunately, the pitching has cost them some close games, and they've fallen out of first place in the AL West.

The A's Rotation Without Civale

May 20, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Aaron Civale (45) throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Since the A's have lost both Civale and Severino, they've had their fair share of newer arms make some starts. Jacob Lopez was sent down to the minor leagues as well, which took another spot out of the A's rotation.

The A's have been lucky to have a couple of starters carry the team since then. J.T. Ginn has been on fire for the squad, and his 2.74 ERA heading into his start in Vegas is quite impressive.

Gage Jump has also had a big role since joining the staff, and he holds a 2.45 ERA in his three starts for the staff. The left-hander is certainly solidifying himself a spot in the future of the A's rotation.

Gage Jump's last two starts combined:

13.1 IP
6 H
1 ER
4 BB
8 K

The 23-year-old is off to a great start to his career! pic.twitter.com/Vb2azofhp6
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) June 7, 2026

Kade Morris also made his debut for the team. A super rough outing would get him optioned on Tuesday to make space for Joey Estes. Mason Barnett was also called up and has pitched some innings in relief, and is also an option to make some starts for the Green and Gold.

Kris Bubic, Casey Mize, and Michael Wacha are all possible options for the A's if they decide to make a trade to bolster their rotation this summer. It'll be a good start once they get Civale back in the mix.

Civale To Rejoin A's Rotation Next Week

Apr 28, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Aaron Civale (45) throws a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the second inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

The A's have never needed starting pitching help more than now. They've shown interest in landing Kris Bubic from the Royals to give the A's another starter. However, in his first rehab start with the Royals, he faced the Aviators and gave up five earned runs in 1.1 innings.

Civale had a really impressive start when he first joined the A's this spring. In April, the right-hander posted an ERA of 3.16 in 25.2 innings pitched.

#Athletics just said that Aaron Civale will appear in Thursday's Aviators game, as well, on a rehab assignment. https://t.co/3yYEpwXaA2
— Justin Lafferty (@jlaffertyLV) June 9, 2026

He didn't do as well in the month of May, however. He finished with a rough 5.40 ERA in 25 innings pitched for the Green and Gold. He was certainly less reliable, but his strong start shows that he has the potential of being a solid arm for the remainder of the season.

His recent struggles and the injury mean that we might not see immediate production from the veteran. However, he should get a pair of tune-up games in Triple-A, which will let him sort some things out and hopefully return to the Civale we saw back in April.

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