Cotton’s elbow MRI is bad news for A’s
Righty could be facing surgery after strong start to his spring
MESA, ARIZ. » The A’s learned the MRI result on Jharel Cotton’s right elbow, and it’s not what they were hoping to hear.
After Cotton met with Dr. Will Workman in Walnut Creek on Wednesday, an MRI on Thursday revealed the righty has a strained flexor muscle and sprained UCL in his pitching elbow. The A’s will look for a second opinion, but with UCL tears often leading to Tommy John surgery, Cotton’s chances of making the starting rotation come Opening Day are likely derailed.
“I guess anything is possible,” manager Bob Melvin said when asked if surgery would be required.
Cotton had put together a strong start to his spring, posting a 3.75 ERA with 16 strikeouts and just six walks through 12 innings of work.
Andrew Triggs, who is recovering from left hip surgery and impressed in his last outing by turning in three perfect innings with
four strikeouts against the Cubs, will get the start in Cotton’s place Saturday against the Giants.
With the club likely to keep top pitching prospect A. J. Puk in the minors to start the season, Triggs likely has the inside track for a spot in the rotation come Opening Day.
Despite the lack of experience among the starting pitchers, Melvin said he is confident with the list of candidates to follow Kendall Graveman and Sean Manaea for the remaining spots in the rotation, which includes Triggs, Paul Blackburn, Daniel Mengden, and Daniel Gossett.
“You have what you have,” Melvin said. “Everybody else that potentially would be fighting for a spot has had success before. Predominantly young and maybe not much of a track record, but we feel good about all of them.”
Though Puk is a long shot to make the rotation, having yet to allow an earned run in three appearances entering Thursday night’s start against the Mariners, Melvin is still not closing the door on him potentially making the team out of spring training.
“He’s still here. So we’ll see where it goes,” Melvin said. “He doesn’t have a lot of experience, none at the big-league level. But he’s still here and now he’s got his own day to start.” LUCROYIMPRESSES » Looking to speed up the process of learning all the pitchers on the roster, new catcher Jonathan Lucroy has spent every day since his signing over at the A’s minorleague complex catching several bullpen sessions. He’s also been getting atbats in preparation of his Cactus League debut.
Scheduled to play in his first game of the Cactus League in one of the A’s split squad games Saturday, Lucroy has been hard at work since arriving to the club’s facilities Monday.
“We’ve had to try and hold him back,” Melvin said.
“Looks like he’s in three places at the same time. He’s getting quite a bit of work in.”
Lucroy hasn’t even played a game with the A’s yet, but his commitment to getting familiar with his new team has already made a good first impression on his new team.
It’s the type of work ethic that made him a two-time All- Star with the Brewers, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by his A’s teammates.
“One thing that really stood out to me yesterday was he came in after catching (Danny) Coulombe in the sim game and immediately went to the bullpen to try to catch (Ryan) Buchter,” A’s pitcher Kendall Graveman said.
“A guy that’s a twotime All- Star going down there to the bullpen to catch and trying to get a head start on things. It just speaks to his character. His demeanor. His makeup. That’s why he’s been around the league for a long time. That meant a lot to me.”
Graveman, the A’s expected Opening Day starter, said getting on the same page as Lucroy in these final weeks of spring training will be essential in order to begin the season on the right foot.
“Hopefully in the next two outings I can hopefully be able to talk to him through an outing or talk about how he wants to go about games,” Graveman said.
“That’s another huge step for all of us starters.”
Having been a part two World Series-winning Giants clubs that relied heavily on experience players, relief pitcher Yusmeiro Petit knows the importance of having an eight-year veteran like Lucroy behind the plate.
With a starting rotation whose oldest member will be 27, Petit said Lucroy’s leadership will come in handy to guide the young A’s starters through any rough patches they may encounter throughout the season.
“It was a good move because he’s gonna be able to control the game,” Petit said.
“He’s played against this division before, so he knows a lot of these hitters. For a young group of pitchers, he’s the perfect guy to lead this group.”