At Long Last, Cal's Jefferies to Make Major League Debut for Athletics Saturday

The Oakland Athletics are calling up former Cal right-hander Daulton Jefferies to start in Saturday's doubleheader. The 37th pick in the 2016 draft will be making his Major League debut.

Daulton Jefferies got the call he’d been hoping for since the A’s drafted him with the 37th overall choice in 2016's first round.

He'll be making his Major League debut Saturday as one of Oakland’s starters in a doubleheader in Arlington, Texas, against the Rangers.

He got the news Monday from Oakland manager Bob Melvin.

“He seems to be a real composed kid,” said Melvin, who, like Jefferies played baseball in Berkeley at Cal. “He does a lot of the intrinsic things well. He’s quick to the plate. He’s got great command.

“He’s obviously had to go through a couple of issues with some injuries, but he’s finally back to the point where he’ll make his Major League debut. He was pretty excited when I told him today.”

Catcher Jonah Heim, who had worked with Jefferies and who had recently caught him at the A’s alternative site, had nothing but praise.

“He's got some really good stuff he's been thrown a lot harder down in San Jose,” Heim said. “And his breaking ball is really good.”

The A’s drafted Jefferies in the same draft in which they picked up A.J. Puk, and the expectations for both that they’d be in the rotation by now. Puk has been close, pitching in relief in 2019 and seeming to have made the 2020 roster only to be slowed by injuries.

Daulton hasn’t been that close. Fate, in terms of injuries, hasn’t been particularly kind. He had Tommy John surgery that limited him to a cumulative three games in 2017-17. So far there is no indication of a repeat occurrence. Even during his time at Cal, he struggled with shoulder and calf injuries, which may have kept him from being a higher draft choice.

While splitting his 2019 season between Class-A Stockton and Double-A Midland, Texas, Jefferies pitched in 26 games with a 3.42 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 79 innings. That may not seem like a huge inning total, but he had stayed healthy all year and reached his team-imposed innings limit. For that, he was rewarded with promotion onto the 40-man roster.

Then this year, back in Spring Training 1 he was hurt again. He thought it might mean another Tommy John surgery, but he caught a break. The elbow was undamaged. He was diagnosed with a right biceps strain.

It sidelined him, to be sure, but he’s had more than enough time to recover from the injury, which was caused, he suspects, by throwing a two-seam fastball in a Cactus League game against the Brewers.

“I’m just happy it’s not my elbow,” he said at the time.

The roster has been set at 60 players with COVID-19 having shut down the minor leagues, and Jefferies has been working at the A’s alternate site in San Jose. And now he’ll be starting Saturday.

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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