The Oakland A’s made several moves on Thursday, several of which were expected. Jed Lowrie was officially added to the A’s roster, with Skye Bolt being designated for assignment. However, there was a major surprise, as Trevor Rosenthal was placed on the Injured List.
He had been slowed late in spring training due to a strained groin, so it may not have been a surprise had that been the reason for the trip to the IL. Instead, Rosenthal has been shelved due to shoulder inflammation.
#Athletics have placed P Trevor Rosenthal on the IL with a sore shoulder.
— Bernie Pleskoff (@BerniePleskoff) April 1, 2021
Trevor Rosenthal injury a major concern for Oakland A’s
In the short term, the A’s are likely to turn to Sergio Romo and Jake Diekman for the ninth inning. Romo has plenty of experience in the closer role for several different teams, which should help alleviate some concerns in the ninth inning. Diekman could get time in the ninth based on matchups.
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Nonetheless, this is a major blow for the A’s bullpen. Rosenthal was their prized offseason signing, the replacement for the departed Liam Hendriks. While a large portion of his $11 million salary is deferred over the next two years, he was easily their largest contract of the offseason.
It was easy to see why based on his 2020 production. Finally healthy after Tommy John surgery and a disastrous 2019 campaign, he posted a solid 1.90 ERA and a 0.845 WHiP in his 23.2 innings, notching 11 saves as he struck out 38 batters with only eight walks. He was certainly one of the better relievers in the game last season.
The A’s do have solid depth in their bullpen. Their relief corps was one of their biggest strengths last season, a buzzsaw that made up for an inconsistent rotation. While they still have plenty of depth, losing Rosenthal for an extended period of time would be a major blow to their hopes to repeat in the AL West.
The Oakland A’s have placed closer Trevor Rosenthal on the Injured List. While they have solid depth in the bullpen, losing Rosenthal for an extended time would be a major blow.