The Oakland A’s just cannot trust Lou Trivino any longer.
That is a statement that would have been ridiculous to make even two weeks ago. He had been a rock in the back of the A’s bullpen, the closer that they had desperately needed. Although he was seemingly in the game at least every other day, Trivino had been exactly what the A’s hoped for when he received the call.
Oakland A’s have to do something with Lou Trivino
But that is no longer the case. Trivino has not been the same since Melvin called on him for the third consecutive game on August 21. He blew the save as he allowed a game winning two run homer, and simply has not been close to being the same reliever since.
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In fact, Trivino has been outright unusable since that outing. Including that performance on the 21st, his final three outings in August were a disaster. He allowed six runs on six hits, including two homers, and two walks over those 2.1 innings. Trivino took the loss in each one of those appearances, blowing two saves.
But there was a possible answer. Trivino had been sidelined since August 26, unavailable due to back spasms. Once they had settled, the hope was that he would be able to return to form. Instead, pitching on Friday and Saturday, Trivino was even worse, allowing seven runs while recording only four outs.
There is clearly something wrong. It is impossible to go from being one of the better relievers in the game to a complete disaster literally overnight. Between his overuse and back woes, Trivino is battling something that is keeping him from being the pitcher he had been. It is time for a stint on the Injured List as the A’s focus on getting him back to form for the 2022 season.
Lou Trivino has been an utter disaster in his last five outings. Given his back issues, it may be a matter of time before he heads to the Injured List.