Thoracic-outlet issue diagnosed for Jefferies
ANAHEIM — Oakland Athletics starter Daulton Jefferies was diagnosed with thoracic-outlet syndrome, manager Mark Kotsay said, sidelining him indefinitely.
The A’s placed Jefferies on the 15-day injured list before Friday’s game in Anaheim. A’s trainer Nick Paparesta said Jefferies will go for a second opinion to help determine a course of action.
Jefferies last pitched Wednesday, after which Kotsay said the right-hander reported “biceps tightness.” Paparesta said Jefferies was evaluated Friday by a vascular surgeon who diagnosed Jefferies with thoracic-outlet syndrome.
Thoracic-outlet syndrome occurs when nerves or blood vessels between the shoulder and neck are compressed, leading to pain, fatigue and weakness or numbness of the hand. Pitchers can be more susceptible to the condition because of repeated over-the-head throwing motions.
“You can treat it conservatively or you can do it surgically,” Paparesta said. “It just depends on how far along he is in the process or how bad the symptoms are or where we are in the season — all of those things get put into play, which is really why he’s trying to get a second opinion.”
A pitcher who has thoracicoutlet surgery is unlikely to be ready to return until at least 12 weeks after surgery in a bestcase scenario. Given the timing, should Jefferies need surgery, it could sideline him for the rest of the season.
Paparesta said when and where Jefferies will go for a second opinion is undetermined, and results likely won’t be known until later next week.
“You feel for the kid,” Kotsay said. “He solidified his spot in the rotation. All signs were that he was going to make all the starts that he needed to and was given this year.”
Jefferies, 26, has dealt with injuries since the A’s drafted him in the first round from Cal in 2016. Jefferies had Tommy John surgery in 2017 and missed most of the 2017-2018 seasons. He debuted with the A’s in 2020 and posted a 3.60 in five MLB appearances last year before ending the season on IL with a flexor strain in his right elbow. In eight 2022 starts, Jefferies is 1-7 with a 5.72 ERA.
Last year, then-A’s closer Trevor Rosenthal had thoracicoutlet surgery in April after opening the season on IL. Rosenthal was rehabbing from that surgery when he was diagnosed with a torn hip labrum in July and had seasonending hip surgery.
Roster moves: Along with placing Jefferies on IL, the A’s optioned reliever Kirby Snead to Triple-A Las Vegas and recalled reliever Jake Lemoine and starter Zach Logue from the Aviators before Friday’s game.
Snead opened the season in Oakland’s bullpen and had pitched in 14 games. The lefthander had a 3.00 ERA in eight April outings but allowed nine runs on 13 hits in 51⁄3 innings in his past six games.
Kotsay said Snead was “pitching in a role that’s tough, but at the same point, it is performance-driven, and I think Kirby needs to get that confidence back. He’s a big part of us and he’ll be back.”
Logue was optioned to Triple-A Wednesday in anticipation of Cole Irvin’s return from IL. Logue made three starts in Irvin’s stead, posting a 2.20 ERA, and now likely replaces Jefferies. Kotsay said that Irvin is still on track to be activated and make his next start with the A’s, though the date is unclear. The A’s are listing Sunday’s starter against the Angels as TBA.