The Oakland A’s will eventually have to make some decisions with their rotation. Jesus Luzardo is expected to make his return from the Injured List at some point in the near future, and would presumably reclaim his spot in the rotation. At least, that would be the expectation.
The problem is that the A’s rotation has not missed a beat with Luzardo being sidelined. James Kaprielian has impressed in his outings since taking Luzardo’s spot in the rotation. While Frankie Montas has been inconsistent, he is not likely to lose his place.
Oakland A’s have decisions to make
Likewise, the other three pitchers in the A’s rotation are likely safe. Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea have been solid this year and are in no danger of losing their spots. Cole Irvin, who has been one of the biggest surprises of the year, is also safe in the A’s rotation.
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This leaves Oakland with two likely options. The first would be to have a six man rotation, allowing Luzardo a bit more time to build up between starts. Likewise, the starters would presumably be able to pitch deeper into games, allowing Bob Melvin to give his bullpen more of a break between outings.
The other option would involve removing Kaprielian from the rotation. He has minor league options remaining, and despite how well he has performed thus far, would most likely be sent to the minors. Otherwise, the A’s could use Kaprielian in the long relief role that Mike Fiers was expected to fill before his injury.
This speculation is entirely contingent upon the A’s remaining healthy. It has been somewhat foolhardy to expect that to be the case over the years, and these questions surrounding the rotation have a tendency to work themselves out. By the time Luzardo is able to return, it may be a moot point when it comes to figuring out what the A’s do with their rotation.
The Oakland A’s will have a decision to make when Jesus Luzardo is ready to return. In reality, only two options seem likely.