Murphy dealing with collapsed lung, Montas positive for COVID-19
With coronavirus health and safety protocols in place for the start of the 2021 season, the A’s pitchers’ and catchers’ report day looked a little different Wednesday than in years past. Similar to the truncated 2020 season, players must undergo intake testing and practice social distancing.
Frankie Montas tested
positive and is feeling symptoms for COVID-19. Sean Murphy will report late as he is recovering from a collapsed lung.
Reporters are not allowed.
All conversations with manager Bob Melvin and the players and staff are over Zoom.
But bench coach Ryan Christenson worked to ensure the schedule and setup felt as familiar as possible for Wednesday’s throwing sessions.
The participants: Paul Blackburn; Jesús Luzardo; Sean Manaea; A.J. Puk; Jake Diekman; Dany Jiménez; Brian Schlitter; J.B. Wendelken; Cole Irvin; Grant Holmes, James Kaprielian; Burch Smith; Ben Bracewell; Jeff Criswell; Parker Dunshee and Brian Howard.
Here are some takeaways from Day 1.
HOW IS PUK AND WHAT WILL HIS ROLE BE? >> It was a good start to spring for the oft-injured Puk, who Melvin said looked fresher than usual in his side session on Wednesday.
“I think surgery really did a lot for him in that; he just looked free and easy,” Melvin said. “There were times you watched him (last year) and you could tell he was feeling something and guarded. A lot of times his shoulder. Today it wasn’t the case at all. He told me he feels great. He’s in great shape. Ball had a lot of life. He looked really good.”
Injuries kept popping up for Puk, the A’s 2016 first-round pick, keeping him from any consistent playing time in the big leagues. A nagging shoulder issue that hindered his bounce-back after throwing sessions finally forced the decision for Puk to undergo surgery last September without any big league playing time in 2020.
If he’s able to keep a clean bill of health, the A’s are going to try to build Puk up as a starter while also embracing other options for the tall lefthanded pitcher. To manage his workload, it’s still possible they aim for Puk to start the season out of the bullpen. He has yet to make his first big league start — the 25-year-old came out of the bullpen
during his 2019 debut, allowing four runs with 13 strikeouts and five walks in 11.1 innings.
Starter or reliever? That will become clearer as spring training progresses. The key for a modern pitching staff is to simply have depth — and Puk’s versatility helps. For now, health is important. That the manager noticed a distinct free and easiness in Puk’s throwing today certainly is a good sign for Day 1.
WHO WILL BE THE CLOSER
NOW THAT LIAM HENDRIKS IS GONE? >> That might not be a relevant question as the A’s mull their choices, including a closer-by-committee plan. Melvin may might narrow down the group of eligible names to pitchers his coaching staff feels most comfortable with in high-leverage situations. Jake Diekman, J.B. Wendelken, Lou Trivino are all options to pitch in the ninth inning, but all options are open.
“We want to talk to players about what they’re comfortable with,” Melvin said. “But bullpens are employed a little differently over the last several years, and we aren’t afraid to experiment a little bit.”
What’s most relevant is the team’s focus on optimizing its bullpen to carry a heavy workload. The A’s are expected to add Yusmeiro Petit and Sergio Romo to a group that features eight other relievers on big league contracts and a plethora of prospects — James Kaprielian and Daulton Jefferies among them — vying for spots and innings.
“There’s eight, 10 guys that can pitch in high-leverage situations, anytime,” Diekman said on Wednesday.
Nik Turley, Burch Smith and Cole Irvin are swingman options with Chris Bassitt, Jesús Luzardo, Frankie Montas, Sean Manaea, Mike Fiers and Puk as the framework for a five-man rotation. Without Hendriks, roles could be more blurred.
“Starters aren’t pitching as many innings as they
did in the past,” Melvin said. “Bullpens are used to carrying the load. We don’t think there will be significant changes to what we do... It’s more on the fly, and trying to figure it out as we go along. But there’s not going to be dramatic changes.”
WHO’S CATCHING? >> With Murphy out of the mix until at least March 1 as he recuperates from a collapsed lung, the young catchers in camp have all eyes on them.
The A’s traded away Jonah Heim to Texas in the transaction that netted Oakland shortstop Elvis Andrus. They weren’t completing the transaction without receiving an experienced catcher in return, and they got Aramis Garcia.
Melvin remembers Garcia from his San Francisco Giants days as the kid who hit a home run off thenA’s closer Blake Treinen in 2018.
“That’s probably the only homer he gave up that year,” Melvin told Garcia. “Nice going.”
Non-roster invitee Carlos Perez is dealing with visa issues and hasn’t reported yet, so the crew in Mesa is young and inexperienced. Tyler Soderstrom and Kyle McCann are under catching coach Marcus Jensen’s tutelage, learning big league tricks of the trade behind the dish. Along with Austin Allen, Garcia has the best defensive numbers and is in the mix for backup catching duties.
NEWFACES>> Jeff Criswell, the A’s 2020 second-round pick out of Michigan, got a big league invite and threw a side session Wednesday. Farm director Ed Sprague singled out Criswell as a prospect who stood out in instructs this year with a high velocity and starter pitch mix.
“I should have called Jim Harbaugh for his take on him,” Melvin said. “A lot of times you get nerve-y with coaches watching you at big league camp, but I didn’t see any nerves from him. He’s got some life on his fastball for sure.”