The Oakland A’s were holding out hope that Mike Fiers would pitch again this year. He had been on the Injured List for the vast majority of the season, dealing with arm issues and pain every time he started to ramp back up. However, Fiers had begun yet another rehab stint, and the results were promising.
At least, they were promising until Wednesday. He has hit yet another snag in his rehab with his season essentially coming to an end.
Mike Fiers has hit a snag in his rehab stint, per A’s trainer Nick Paparesta. His comeback attempt before season’s end is likely over.
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) September 22, 2021
Mike Fiers contract a complete disaster for Oakland A’s
One could understand why the A’s brought Fiers back for this season. The back of the rotation was relatively unsettled, and he had been a solid innings eater over the past few years. While Fiers may not be a star, he was likely to provide around 150 innings of approximately league average pitching.
Instead, his season lasted all of two starts spanning 9.1 innings. He hardly looked to be a major league pitcher in that time, allowing eight runs on 15 hits and four walks. The A’s also lost both of his outings, something that has become all the more glaring as they slide out of a playoff berth.
There were also questions as to whether or not it made sense to bring Fiers back in the first place. The A’s were searching under the cushions of the sofa for money to sign players, yet wasted precious resources on someone who would be a long reliever at best. Considering the young, almost major league ready arms they have in their system, Fiers was a luxury they could not afford.
As it turned out, they would have been better off lighting that money on fire. He was another piece of what turned out to be a disastrous free agency class for the A’s from this offseason, a collection of players who did virtually nothing to help the roster. At least there is no more reason for the A’s to hold out hope that Fiers will do anything more this season.
Mike Fiers has suffered yet another setback in his rehab attempts. The Oakland A’s can officially stick a fork in his 2021 campaign.