A's Put Puk's Spring on Hold

The A’s starting pitching depth may get tested sooner than hoped for with the news that rookie left-hander A.J. Puk is going to be shut down, at least over the short term.

Puk was due to start Tuesday against the White Sox, but he was scratched by what the club is calling a mild strain of his left shoulder. Chris Bassitt took over in Puk's stead.

Puk, the No. 2 or No. 3 prospect in the A’s organization, depending on whose list you’re looking at, came into camp as one of the five members of the starting rotation.

An MRI taken last week of Puk’s left shoulder after a start against the Rockies showed no structural damage. However, with Puk having missed much of the 2018 and 2019 seasons following mid-April 2018 Tommy John surgery, no chances were being taken. He'll be reevaluated late this week or early next week.

“We’re obviously going to be proactive, especially this time in spring,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s got a mild shoulder soreness. It’s going to be four or five days that we’re shutting him down and we’ll see where we’re at. Maybe start playing catch after that.”

In his start Thursday against the Rockies, Puk threw 23 pitches in two innings, topping out with 97 mph fastballs. In his first start, he’d thrown one scoreless inning against the Cubs, also topping out at 97 mph.

After surgery wiped out 2018 for the A’s No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, he came back in the middle of the 2019 season with Triple-A Las Vegas with 18 games, four of them starts. The A’s brought him up for the second half of August, and he appeared in 10 games, all out of the bullpen.

He’s always been a starter, though, and he has been looking forward to getting back to its roots.

“I’m looking forward to getting back into a good starting routine and just keep building on every start and getting ready for the season,” Puk said.

Now that plan is on hold.

Add us as a preferred source on Google