Prospect will start in Cactus opener
MESA, ARIZ. >> The A’s have announced starters for the first four Cactus League games. And none will come from the big league rotation. But most could comprise the Triple-A Las Vegas rotation for the 2021 season.
Manager Bob Melvin announced right-handed pitcher Daulton Jefferies will start the Oakland A’s Cactus League opener on Sunday afternoon against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Hohokam.
Jefferies, 25, is the A’s seventh-ranked pitching prospect, according to MLB.com’s prospect list. He made his Major League debut in 2020, allowing five runs over two innings against the Texas Rangers. Jefferies has strong command and walked just nine batters with 93 strikeouts in 79 innings as a starter with the Midland Rockhounds and Stockton Ports in 2019.
Jefferies honed in on his confidence over the offseason, proving to himself after a rough debut that he belonged in the big leagues. That meant working on differentiating his changeup — which was flat against the Rangers — from his fastball.
Grant Holmes and Parker Dunshee will get starts in the A’s next games against the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers. Holmes, another promising arm in the A’s system, participated in the A’s alternate site in San Jose last summer and will play in his first organized game since 2019.
Holmes, 24, had a 3.65 ERA with 28 walks and 81 strikeouts with Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas in 2019. Dunshee, 26, had a 5.05 ERA in 130 innings with the Rockhounds and Aviators in 2019. Jefferies, Holmes and Dunshee are on the cusp of more big league playing time.
Cole Irvin, acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies for cash, will start the fourth game. Irvin could be vying for a swingman role on the active roster. Irvin has a 6.75 ERA in 19 games with the Phillies between the 2019 and 2020 seasons.