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Ryan Castellani deserves another look with Oakland A’s

By David Hill

Apr 21, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Ryan Castellani (38) poses with his family after defeating the Baltimore Orioles at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 21, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Ryan Castellani (38) poses with his family after defeating the Baltimore Orioles at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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It was a matter of time until Ryan Castellani was sent back to Triple-A. The Oakland A’s had summoned him from the minors as a Covid substitute, allowing him to appear at the major league level without officially being added to the 40 man roster. Likewise, the A’s were able to send him back to Las Vegas without having to worry about losing his services on the waiver wire.

That time came on Friday. As part of a series of roster moves, Castellani was returned to Triple-A as the A’s reinstated Jed Lowrie from the Covid IL. Additionally, Kevin Smith was activated from the IL with Mickey McDonald being sent down.

Ryan Castellani deserves a longer look with Oakland A’s

Castellani’s demotion is not likely to be a long term situation. The A’s bullpen, particularly in those middle innings, is likely to be in a state of flux throughout the year. Players are going to get opportunities that they may not otherwise have received. That includes the former second round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft.

He did fare well in his brief stint with the A’s. Castellani allowed just one unearned run on two hits in his 2.2 innings, striking out one. Although he did uncork two wild pitches, he was relatively effective during his time on the mound.

Castellani is not going to fire the ball past the opposition. He will look to generate grounders and weak contact, relying on his defense to get him out of any trouble. There will be occasional bouts of wildness, something that he struggled with in the minors as well.

But he is also just 26 years old. Even if he is not going to be a mainstay in the rotation as was hoped when he was drafted, he could still be a solid enough option in the bullpen. The A’s need to find those pieces and it is possible that they have one in an unheralded minor league signing.

Next. Blackburn showing promise thus far. dark

Ryan Castellani was solid enough during his brief time with the Oakland A’s. It may be a matter of time before he gets another look.