Daulton Jefferies was set to have a prime opportunity with the Oakland A’s. He was slated to enter the rotation on Saturday, taking the place of James Kaprielian for at least one outing. While Kaprielian had pitched reasonably well all year, he had also begun to hit the wall, leaving the A’s to give Jefferies a look.
Instead, Kaprielian was given a reprieve. Jefferies ended up landing on the Injured List before that outing, leaving Kaprielian to take his regular turn in the rotation.
James Kaprielian gives Oakland A’s what they needed
Maybe that possible demotion to the bullpen was the wake-up call that Kaprielian needed. He fired six innings of shutout ball against the Angels, allowing just two hits while striking out five to earn the victory. The A’s won their fourth consecutive game and are now just two games out of a Wild Card spot.
While that was a positive outing, it remains to be seen how long he remains in the rotation. A move will need to be made soon as Chris Bassitt is working his way back from his facial fractures. As the A’s hope to get him back into the rotation soon, a move will need to be made to free up that spot.
It is possible that Kaprielian ends up being sent to the bullpen once more. He had struggled prior to his excellent outing on Saturday, allowing 15 runs on 23 hits, including five homers, and seven walks in his previous 16.2 innings. The A’s need someone they can count on to give them the solid outings they need.
Maybe Kaprielian can be that pitcher. Depending on when Bassitt is ready, he could get another start in the coming week. If he performs well in that outing, it would be far more difficult to remove him from the rotation.
James Kaprielian was set to be removed from the Oakland A’s rotation. Instead, his excellent outing on Saturday may lead to a reprieve.