Safe it is
A’s catcher Austin Allen points to home as umpire Lance Barrett calls him safe after scoring on a Pete Kozma double in the second inning. Oakland led the Rockies 70 through two innings, but Colorado won 107 at Salt River Field.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Several days into Cactus League play, the A’s primary starting pitchers remain out of sight.
No pitcher from their first four games this week is likely to open the season in the majorleague rotation. Those starters are working at the A’s spring complex, closed to media since games began, and are not expected to appear in games until next week.
Pitching coach Scott Emerson said Wednesday that the majorleague starters are preparing by throwing simulated games against A’s hitters. They’ve thrown “outings” of three innings and 40 pitches and will extend to four simulated innings before starting to work into Cactus League games in about a week, Emerson said.
“They’ve all done a great job of building their pitch count, working on certain pitches they need to be working on,” Emerson said on a video call.
Emerson said the A’s are taking this approach partly because there isn’t much competition in the rotation with five starters returning. Teams also are expected to take particular care this spring building up pitchers following a short and turbulent 2020 season.
Manager Bob Melvin last month said the A’s will be “cognizant” of workload with some of their younger pitchers. Still, Emerson said the A’s are “treating this season like any other 162 (game) season” in preparing pitchers for it. He reiterated the A’s have not talked about using a sixman rotation and said the starters should be built up to throw about 100 pitches when the regular season opens April 1.
“Our guys aren’t going to be behind,” Emerson said.
No A’s starter threw more than 74 innings in 2020. All face a big increase, though for some, it will be more of a return to normal. Sean Manaea, Chris Bassitt and Mike Fiers have thrown 140plus innings in a majorleague season. Frankie Montas’ careerhigh is 1362⁄3 in a season between the majors and minors and Jesús Luzardo’s is 1091⁄3.
“Somebody would have to really give me some data to support why we should look into guys not throwing as many innings as they did in ’19,” Emerson said. “It’s almost like a little short rest . ... They were throwing throughout the pandemic, so it wasn’t like they took a year off.
“I feel very confident in our guys going out there. And getting to the mound fresh is what I want them to do. But that’s every year, monitoring their workload not only in the game but in the bullpen, and especially with relievers monitoring their work in between and talking to them and seeing how fresh they are.”
⏩ Lefthander Cole Irvin started and pitched two scoreless innings Wednesday as the A’s lost 107 to Colorado in seven innings. “He’s got four pitches, keeps you offbalance,” Melvin said. “Off to a good start.”
Irvin, acquired from the Phillies, attended Oregon and said he feels “really comfortable in these (A’s) colors.” He owns a 6.75 ERA in 451⁄3 majorleague innings but said he moved to the opposite side of the pitching rubber in 2020 and it helped him better locate his sinker to righthanded hitters and his slider.
Irvin said: “I’m not going to try to blow off doors. I’m going to be trying to outthink and outpitch the opponent.”
⏩ Catcher Sean Murphy is swinging a bat and throwing in his return from surgery for a collapsed lung. Melvin said it’s “still going to be a little bit of time” before Murphy plays in games.
⏩ Lefthander A.J. Puk is set to face hitters Friday for the first time this spring, Emerson said. Melvin said the A’s intent is still to “try to develop (Puk) as a starter and then you can always back off toward a bullpen role.”