MARCH 5: Today’s visit to Dr. Neil ElAttrache confirmed that Puk has no structural damage in the shoulder, manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). The southpaw figures to resume throwing in the next few days, Melvin added.
MARCH 3: The Athletics have temporarily shut down left-hander A.J. Puk because of a mild shoulder strain, manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday (via Martin Gallegos of MLB.com). Fortunately for both sides, an MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage, per Gallegos, who adds that the A’s will re-evaluate Puk on Thursday or Friday.
This doesn’t look like a serious injury at this point, but it’s a bit scary for an Oakland rotation that has dealt with constant issues over the past couple years. Puk wasn’t immune to those troubles prior to Thursday, as the prized 24-year-old missed all of 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and then sat out the majority of last season while recovering. He did work his way back late in the year, though, returning to make an impressive major league debut across 11 2/3 innings from the A’s bullpen. The towering Puk (6-foot-7) averaged just over 97 mph on his fastball during that brief showing.
Now, if he is healthy enough to begin the year in the bigs, Puk should be in line to open the season from the A’s rotation. The back-to-back playoff club boasts plenty of talent in that area, though the A’s fought no shortage of injuries in their starting staff during those two seasons. If all goes well over the next few weeks, Oakland figures to start 2020 with Puk complementing Frankie Montas, Sean Manaea, Jesus Luzardo and Mike Fiers in its rotation.
A’s season will hinge on the health of the young starters who’s trackrecord is hard to trust. For short term, bassitt can easily replace puk but they also dont hqve much depth beyond that. Mendgden is injured himself, Blackburn is mediocre. After that maybe a dunshee, Howard, kaprelian, Holmes but if any of those guys get a chance that means A’s have had rotation issues
Being that they had massive, massive SP injury problems and still won 97 back to back years, your claim of “A’s season will hinge on the health of the young starters” is factually incorrect.
The teams defense sure has bailed out many “mediocre” pitchers over the last couple years and those guys are still there, that’s what the “season hinges on”. The A’s proved they simply don’t need high ceiling SPs by winning 97 games without them, period, end of story. They will make the playoffs with Blackburn starting 20+ games, and his ERA will be 3.50 and his FIP will be 6.00, haha
And they did it mostly without KD, Piscotty, and Treinen.
Kevin Durant
Thank you Walter Cronkite
After 2 97 win seasons you think next step is a title maybe ?? Are u going to win 3 playoff series without frontline starters ?? There success depends on health of pitching youth no doubt.
A’s should be using Puk like brewers use hader. Put him in for an inning or maybe more when the games on the line. Both are big lefties with tons of Ks and competitors.
Not the shoulder!
Puk no!
Agh!! Nein mein Puuuuk!!
This dude can’t catch a break
A’s always seem to have injuries to their young pitchers.
The Puk stops h…no, I can’t do it.
here (I can)
Who here remembers Puck from Real World ?
Oh yeah!
He was the original troll.
Can we please trade the Boston starting staff for Oakland’s starting staff? We’ll help pay for your new ballpark!
No one wants Boston’s starting staff. A’s are better off with no one rather than Boston’s pitching
The next Brett Anderson
After all the injuries over the last bunch of years, the A’s really do deserve to get 140 games started out of Luzardo, Puk, Fiers, Montas and Manaea this year.
Montas doesn’t deserve anything
why? because he mistakenly took ED pills from a gas station?
Wonder if Fiers will tell on Montas cheating with PEDS!!!
What’s to tell? He did it, got caught, got punished and then served that punishment. But hey I guess not everyone can cheat and get off scot free like some other AL West players.
He already got suspended and served his time for that. Which is infinitely more time than the cheating Astros players got.
A’s being A’s. No more than pure BS. Puk is fine, he’s 24 for Christ sake! Put the damn kid in and tell him to throw his guts out. Tired of this……what happened to the bull dogs of MLB? He’s on a pitch count, he’s on an innings count. Can i be on an hours count at work, i tweaked my thumb.
Somebody call the whaaaaaambulance
Guys started getting paid millions, and medical technology found how to best prevent long term injuries by not having guys “throw their guts out” because that’s how guys blew their arms out in the past.
in the long past most high school pitchers threw mostly fastballs. even in pros. but times have changed and hitters will be able to hit no matter how fast one throws fastballs.these days even in pony baseball kids throw breaking balls. therein lies increased doctor fees.
No, it’s them pitching year round while their arm is developing. Increases chances of tendinitis in the elbow and shoulder, and bigger issues down the road.
I don’t know, do you have a 20 million other people who can and would gladly do your job?
Or are you one of the elite at your profession, and are one of maybe less than 1% of the population who can reach that strata of professional baseball?
Oh.
You cannot, you have to suit up for oakland and go throw 250 innings. Best of luck.
Easy grandpa
You have to be puk-ing kidding me..
if he played for the angels there would be 100’s of trolls on this.
the A’s didn’t attempt to patch up their rotation with DFA’s and potential DFA’s and impulse buy a 3B with the hopes of making up 25 games in the standings…
Puk is talented. If he is not ready, there are plenty of options behind A.J.
Billy Beane and co., always find ways to be creative…
It’s time for him to be ready. This ship is long overdue.
ElAttrache’s report: nothing wrong, no structural damage.
Team deciding whether he throws tomorrow, saturday, or sunday bullpen.
Had a Dream that Puk was really discouraged and I told him he throws gas and he’ll be fine. He walked away happy. Hope this is an omen of things to come