Puk happy with his outing
MESA, Ariz. — Pitching in his first game in more than a year, A.J. Puk had an eventful first inning Wednesday. The A’s lefthander struck out the first batter he faced on three pitches. He retired two more by strikeout. He also allowed a home run that left Hohokam Stadium.
Most important, Puk emerged from his two innings against the Royals saying he felt healthy. Injuries have limited Puk, 25, to 362⁄3 innings since 2017. His impact on the A’s will be governed by whether he can remain available.
“I was feeling great,” Puk said after his Cactus League debut. “I was just real excited to get back out there and face somebody wearing a different jersey than our guys. I felt really good out there, really comfortable and like I had good command of all my pitches.”
Puk debuted briefly with the A’s in late 2019, returning from Tommy John surgery, as a reliever with flowing hair and a fastball averaging 97 mph. He cut a different figure Wednesday. The hair is now closecropped. His fastball hovered at 9293 mph. Puk said he threw five pitches in the outing: a four and twoseam fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. He allowed two hits, including Ryan McBroom’s tworun homer that cleared the fence behind the scoreboard in left field, before retiring his final four batters. Pukstruck out four, three swinging.
“He gives up a homer and then you always look to see what he does after that, and I thought he pitched pretty well,” manager Bob Melvin said.
Puk said he was “real anxious” before his first game since last spring training. He expressed less concern when asked about his velocity. Puk missed last season with shoulder problems and had surgery in September.
“I’m just getting back into it,” Puk said. “Maybe I’ll get that velocity fully back, maybe not. I’m more concerned about just going out there and feeling good, which I am.”
With righthander Mike Fiers’ availability for the seasonopen
ing roster in doubt, Melvin has said Puk would be an “ideal” replacement. Building up Puk’s pitch count is needed; he threw about 30 pitches and will increase by about 15 in his next outing.
“I just want to pitch and be healthy, whether that’s starting or coming out of the bullpen for us,” Puk said. “I’m feeling good and I’m just going to keep on building and progressing.”
⏩ New closer Trevor Rosenthal also made his spring debut in the A’s 105 win, allowing two hits and a run with one strikeout. Rosenthal’s fastball was 9597 mph and he threw 12 of 20 pitches offspeed. “I feel the pitches are there, my arm strength is there, everything’s there,” Rosenthal said. “Now it’s more about getting in a groove.”
⏩ Outfielder Ramón Laureano could return to games early next week after an MRI exam on his sore left side muscle showed he is “going to be OK,” Melvin said. Outfielder Buddy Reed, who also had an MRI on his strained right quad, is “going to be out for a little while,” Melvin added.
⏩ It was a good day for hitters pushing for roster spots. Jed Lowrie had two doubles (one sunaided) and scored from second on a single both times. Catcher Aramis Garcia doubled twice with two RBIs. Rule 5 outfielder Ka’ai Tom had two hits and drove in two runs.