Ouch! A’s Starters McCarthy & Ross Out

Ready to hit the panic button?

On Friday, the Oakland A’s announced that the team was placing starters Brandon McCarthy and Tyson Ross on the 15-day DL. The A’s rotation has been the team’s number one strength early on this season, but losing your No.4 and No.5 guy on the same day is never a good thing.

The A’s lose McCarthy to what Jane Lee of MLB.com says is a “stress reaction in his right scapula,” while Ross is out due to a left oblique strain.

McCarthy was 1-4 with a 3.39 ERA in nine starts prior to landing on the DL. Ross, meanwhile, went 3-3 with a 2.75 ERA this season in nine appearances (6 starts). The A’s, given their recent battle with team injuries, will likely be extremely cautious with both players, and will not want to rush either of them back.

Oakland’s new “Big Three,” consisting of Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, and Gio Gonzalez, remains in tact, but if one of them goes down, the team could be in serious trouble.

The A’s also announced via their official team page that right-handed reliever, Tryston Magnuson was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, while relievers LHP Jerry Blevins, RHP Joey Devine, and RHP Fautino De Los Santos were recalled to Oakland.

Who fills in for Oakland in the No.4 and No.5 spot? Where is Josh Outman? All these questions and more are probably swirling around Oakland’s front office right now. The fact of the matter is, however, is that this team is in trouble. With an inconsistent offense, the A’s can’t afford to keep losing valuable members of their pitching staff.