PHOENIX — With one of the better young pitching staffs in the league, the two-time defending AL West champion Oakland A’s are expected to contend again this year.
Now, they will have to do so without projected Opening Day starter Jarrod Parker, who will miss the entire season due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Parker will have Tommy John surgery, his second in less than five years, on March 25.
“The first thing in these situations is you feel bad for Jarrod,” A’s assistant general manager David Forst said. “He worked hard this offseason after some struggles at the end of the year and was going to be at the top of the rotation. But we can only play the hand that we’re dealt.”
In addition, the A’s will not have projected No. 4 starter A.J. Griffin for more than a month. Griffin was shut down from throwing for three weeks due to flexor tendinitis.
Both Parker and Griffin were dealing with arm issues at the end of last season. Griffin missed the AL Division Series as a result, and Parker was expected to miss the AL Championship Series had the A’s advanced.
Tommy Milone, a left-hander who was in Oakland’s rotation each of the past two years, and Jesse Chavez, a right-hander who was the Athletics’ long reliever in 2013, are expected to join the rotation. Chavez was stretched out to start, and the A’s decided against trading Milone in order to have more depth.
“We’ve been through enough seasons to know that five starters isn’t going to make it,” Forst said. “In this case, five didn’t make it to Opening Day.”
NOTES, QUOTES
–OF Craig Gentry is doing all the on-field work before games, including taking batting practice, but the A’s still do not have a timetable for him to get into games. Gentry, who has missed most of the spring with back soreness, is 50-50 to make the Opening Day roster. Non-roster invitee Sam Fuld is the most likely replacement the first week of the season; Fuld has an opt out in his contract if not on the Opening Day roster.
–RHP Jarrod Parker, 25, will miss the entire season due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament, as he needs a second Tommy John surgery. He also underwent the procedure in 2009, and the return rates for second such operations are not as high as successful returns from the first surgery. Parker was expected to be the Athletics’ Opening Day starter.
–RHP A.J. Griffin will be shut down from throwing for three weeks with flexor tendinitis. Griffin, projected to be the team’s No. 4 starter, is unlikely to be available until May at the earliest. Griffin also had trouble with right forearm soreness last September.
–RHP Jesse Chavez is expected to move into Oakland’s rotation because of injuries to RHPs Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin. Chavez, the Athletics’ long reliever in 2013, did not allow a run through 12 2/3 innings this spring.
–RHP Ryan Cook is scheduled to throw a simulated game March 19, but the team had yet to decide when Cook would appear in an exhibition game. Cook, out all spring due to right shoulder soreness, remains a question mark for the Opening Day roster but isn’t expected to miss much time even if he starts the season on the disabled list.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “First and foremost, I feel for him. He’s done so much for us. He competes hard. He works hard. For a guy who’s gone through this before, I really feel for him. As far as the team goes, sure it’s a blow. This is a guy that has meant a lot to us, and we’ll have to do something different.” — A’s manager Bob Melvin, on RHP Jarrod Parker’s upcoming Tommy John surgery.