The Athletics’ rotation is in motion again, and not in a tidy way.
Jack Perkins was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas before Friday’s game against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park, while J.T. Ginn’s status has moved from day-to-day unease to something more serious. Ginn’s progress from what has been described as general fatigue/soreness has stalled for several days, and the club is now bringing in an orthopedist to examine him Saturday.
Perkins had been a steady part of the rotation since early June, but the A’s have kept running into the same problem with him: he hasn’t been able to work deep into games. On Thursday in the series opener in Seattle, he lasted just three innings, throwing 86 pitches and allowing three runs on four hits and five walks while striking out seven.
That outing fit the strange shape of his season. Perkins has shown the stuff that made him a highly regarded prospect - he was among the A’s top 10 prospects by MLB Pipeline at the start of last season - and the organization still views him as part of the future, whether that ends up being in the rotation or the bullpen.
But the recent results have been uneven. Over his last three outings, he has a 3.46 ERA and only 13 innings, with the short outings tied largely to 14 walks.
“We’d like to have given Perkins some more opportunity, because we do still believe he’s part of this team’s future,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “In order to get better and to grow, you have to go through some tough times.
I know last night was not his best. The biggest thing that came out of last night was that he competed, which is a priority and what we ask for.
We know it’s in there for him. We’ve seen it.
… If we can get him in a better place to consistently throw quality strikes, there should be more in there for him. That’s what we’re going to try to accomplish.”
Ginn’s situation could have an even bigger ripple effect. The 27-year-old has become the A’s top starter during a breakout season, putting up a 3.71 ERA in 27 games, 24 of them starts.
He has also thrown 138 1/3 innings, easily the most he has ever logged in a professional season, and that workload may be catching up to him. Kotsay said the club will make a call Saturday on Ginn’s future, with shutdown for the rest of the season on the table.
“We’ll make a determination [Saturday] as to his future,” Kotsay said. “You always want guys to finish the season, but we need to make the right decision for him going forward and his future, especially going into next year.”
With Perkins gone and Ginn possibly done for the year, the A’s were left Friday night with three fixed rotation pieces: Gage Jump, Jacob Lopez and Jeffrey Springs.
That opens the door for Kade Morris. The rookie started Friday against Seattle, and he’s one of the candidates to fill one of the vacancies.
Morris, the A’s No. 13 prospect, was hit hard in his first big league start against the Astros on June 6, then was sent back to the Minors. Since returning to the big league club at the end of June, he has worked out of the bullpen in four appearances.
“Great opportunity for Kade,” Kotsay said. “Young, talented pitcher who probably needs more seasoning in Triple-A. But with our current situation and where we’re at with arms, he’s here and he’s going to get a chance to go out tonight and pitch against a playoff-contending team and a dominant left-handed lineup, which, he’s had his struggles with.”
The A’s also brought back Joey Estes from Triple-A on Friday to handle long relief. Kotsay said Estes could also make a start or two before the season ends.
In Other News...
A's Top Prospects Just Reached A Crucial Test On Fast Track
Two of the Athletics most promising young players have been pushed another step up the ladder, as Jamie Arnold and Devin Taylor have both landed in Triple-A Las Vegas after standing out at Double-A Midland. Arnold, the clubs No. 3 prospect, earned the move after finishing his time in Midland with a 2.43 ERA and 73 strikeouts over his final 13 starts, while Taylor, ranked No. 7 in the system, kept forcing the issue with a strong bat that played at both High-A and Double-A.
For Oakland, the timing matters as much as the production. Triple-A is where prospect buzz starts to turn into real organizational urgency, and both players are now being asked to prove they can keep carrying that momentum against a tougher level of competition. Arnolds first taste of Las Vegas went well, and Taylor has already shown he can impact a game in a hurry, leaving the As with more reason to pay close attention to how quickly each one adapts from here. [Read more 🡒]
A's Unleashed A Power Surge Seattle Couldnt Recover From
The Athletics spent one inning turning a tight night in Seattle into one of those box scores that gets checked twice. In a 7-6 win over the Mariners, Oakland broke through in a big way and then leaned on its bullpen to protect the lead, finishing the job after the third inning and never letting Seattle get fully back in front.
The burst was historic for a club that has been waiting a long time for that kind of punch. Oakland had not put four balls over the fence in a single inning since April 27, 2002, and the third-inning avalanche gave the A's exactly the kind of jolt that can change the feel of a road trip, even if the game still stayed tense down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Need More From Two Key Pieces Before This Gets Worse
A rough season has left the Athletics searching for stability wherever they can find it, and the margin for error is getting thinner with so many of the clubs top names already done for the year. While the injuries have taken a real toll, the bigger concern now is finding dependable production from the players still in the everyday mix, especially with the organization trying to build something more competitive before the move to Las Vegas.
Jeffrey Springs and Carlos Cortes sit near the center of that conversation. Springs has not been able to consistently work deep into games, which has made it harder for the As to settle their pitching plans, while Cortes has faded after his hot start and now has to fight to hold onto his place near the top of the order. Both are important pieces of the present and the future, and if their form does not turn soon, the season could slip even further away. [Read more 🡒]