The inevitable has occurred as A.J. Puk’s season for the Oakland A’s has ended before it ever had a chance to begin.
At this point, we all knew what was coming. The Oakland A’s had shut A.J. Puk down once again after he felt soreness in his shoulder, his 2020 season seemingly over. When the news broke that he was heading out to see Dr. Neal ElAttrache, it was expected that this would result in something more than just a checkup to be safe.
The other shoe fell on Friday. The A’s announce that Puk would undergo shoulder surgery next week, officially ending his season.
Puk will have shoulder surgery next week.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) September 11, 2020
Puk was expected to be a key part of the A’s plans this season. He was pencilled in as a part of the rotation during spring training, with he and Jesus Luzardo taking those final two starts. Instead, Puk was delayed due to his shoulder woes, and would have started the season on the Injured List.
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When summer camp opened, Puk’s role had changed. He was expected to be activated as a reliever, a potential weapon in what was expected to be an excellent bullpen. With his arsenal, Puk had the potential to be an impact reliever, a multi-inning fireman that could enter the game at any point.
But Puk was shut down again due to his shoulder soreness. He started throwing again after some rest and was literally one more session away from rejoining the A’s. Instead, his shoulder flared up once more, leading to his being shut down again.
At this point, one has to hope that Puk will be ready for the 2021 season. The extent of the surgery, or the injury that prompted such a procedure, has yet to be announced, so one can hope it is relatively minor. Maybe Puk can claim a spot in the A’s rotation next year, or possibly serve as an important part of the bullpen.
A.J. Puk is officially lost for the year. At least now, the Oakland A’s have some closure.