Oakland Athletics’ Reliever Evan Scribner Needs To Go

The Oakland Athletics have had their fair share of bullpen issues this season. There has been a revolving door of pitchers coming and going all year. Now, one of the more reliable relievers earlier in the season is starting to struggle. After earning a 1.38 ERA in April, Evan Scribner accumulated a 5.56 ERA for June. His recent floundering suggests that it is time to switch him out for someone new.

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After Friday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners where Scribner gave up four runs in two inning, he told the press that he was not sure what the issue is with his pitching. Other players on the team are categorizing Scribner’s difficulties as just a rut and that he has the potential to pitch very well for the A’s. However, his ERA has gone from a 1.38 at the end of April to now a 3.64 for the season after last night, and, in his last 13.1 innings, Scribner has allowed six home runs, 11 runs, and 16 hits.

In the past, when an Oakland pitcher has underperformed, he has been sent down to the minor leagues to figure it out – just like what happened to Kendall Graveman earlier in season. Due to his extremely poor outing last night and his inability to perform under pressure, it is time for Scribner to head to Triple-A Nashville. As for his replacement, righty Dan Otero should be called back up to the Oakland Athletics’ bullpen.

Otero was one of Oakland’s most underrated relievers last season. In 2014, he had an 8-2 winning record and 2.28 ERA with only four homers allowed in 86.1 innings pitched. Right now in Triple-A, he has a 1.23 ERA with only two earned runs in 14.2 innings pitched. Even though he struggled with the Athletics during the early part of the 2015 season, it seems as though he has found his rhythm again and is ready to come back to the Athletics’ bullpen.

Oakland’s pen has been a sore spot for this team since the start of the year. It is time to make a few more changes and move Scribner. He needs some time to figure out how to get out of this rut. In the meantime, the A’s should bring up Otero to see if he is ready to pitch again in the major leagues.

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