After a rough two week stretch that saw the Oakland A’s fall out of the Wild Card, they have been hanging tough. Difficult stretches for the Red Sox and Yankees have helped, but the A’s have also done their part with a five game winning streak heading into Monday’s action.
Those playoff hopes may get a boost in the next few days. Chris Bassitt threw a 30 pitch bullpen session on Monday, and depending on how he feels in the next couple of days, could be activated later this week.
Chris Bassitt could return to Oakland A’s in near future
Bassitt has been doing his part to ramp up to be ready for action. Monday’s bullpen marked the fourth time he has thrown in the past nine days as he is literally doing everything he can to be activated as soon as possible.
The A’s could certainly use him in the rotation. Prior to his being struck in the face by a line drive, he had further established himself as the ace of the rotation, someone that the team fed off of. Bassitt had posted a 12-4 record with a 3.22 ERA and a 1.046 WHiP in his 151 innings, striking out 154 batters with just 35 walks.
The fact that Bassitt is this close to returning is somewhat miraculous. There were questions as to whether or not he would be back this season when he was struck with that line drive, especially given the time frame needed to recover from his surgery to repair his facial fractures. Bassitt, however, refused to acquiesce to that time frame and was determined to come back this year.
That drive and determination could culminate in his activation in the next few days. His role moving forward may be in question as he might not have time to improve his pitch count enough to start, but he will be an upgrade regardless of the role. Likewise, having Bassitt back in any capacity on the active roster could give the A’s that spark they need.
Chris Bassitt is closing in on a return to the Oakland A’s. The staff ace could be activated in the next few days, providing a badly needed spark.