Oakland Athletics Make Several Roster Moves

Oakland Athletics Send Mark Canha, Liam Hendriks to DL; Recall Andrew Triggs and More

On Tuesday, the Oakland Athletics had a busy day in terms of roster moves. The A’s sent utility man Mark Canha and reliever Liam Hendriks to the disabled list, and optioned reliever J.B. Wendelken to Triple-A Nashville. In return, the team called up lefty Daniel Coulombe and right-hander Andrew Triggs, as well as Tyler Ladendorf.

The A’s also transferred Chris Bassitt to the 60-day disabled list, in order to add Coulombe to the 40-man roster.

Canha is expected to undergo an MRI on Wendesday on both his left hip and back, according to MLB.com’s Jane Lee. He has dealt with back pain since Spring Training, but told Lee that hitting “is kind of excruciating” at this point in the season.

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Meanwhile, Hendriks is struggling with a right triceps strain that has caused discomfort and hindered him from getting “fully extended out there,” according to the same story by Lee. So far this season, Hendriks has posted an 8.27 ERA in 16.1 innings, despite striking out 19 batters. He was expected to be a key part of the A’s bullpen in 2016, so his injury might explain his struggles so far.

Wendelken pitched for the Athletics twice during his brief stint in the majors, giving up five runs in 2.1 innings. That included a grand slam to Orioles’ slugger Manny Machado on Sunday.

The highlight of the roster moves might be the two newly-recalled relievers. Coulombe has posted a 0.64 ERA in 11 appearances with Triple-A Nashville, allowing just one earned run, six hits and a pair of walks in 14 innings of work.

Triggs has a 4.50 ERA in seven games, having allowed four earned runs on six hits and three walks in eight innings of work, but he has been stellar in his limited appearances with the big league club this season. In his major league debut against the Tigers, he pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout, and in Baltimore, he struck out the side.

Although Ladendorf will provide some reinforcement in Canha’s absence, the A’s are also a bit limited on their bench: both Jed Lowrie and Danny Valencia are limited, as Lowrie deals with a foot injury and Valencia nurses his left hamstring.

Next: Is it Time to Worry About Sonny Gray

The Oakland Athletics are in the middle of a rough patch in terms of their starting pitching, and it appears that their luck is only getting worse. Can the A’s get healthy and stay healthy before it’s too late to stay in contention?