It made absolutely no sense. The Oakland A’s sent Zach Logue down to Triple-A in order to bring Nick Allen back as a backup option for the infield. It was certainly not a matter of performance as Logue had been one of their better starters, but he had options available. With that being the case, Logue was sent back to Las Vegas.
That stay may not last too much longer. Daulton Jefferies, whose grasp on his spot in the rotation was tenuous at best, is dealing with an issue with his biceps. He underwent an MRI following his rough outing on Wednesday with more information expected on Friday.
Oakland A’s might have Zach Logue take a U-turn
Jefferies has not exactly had a stellar season in the first place. He has posted a 5.72 ERA and a 1.373 WHiP in his 39.1 innings, striking out 28 batters with eight walks. However, as a formerly well regarded prospect, he is going to get his chances.
These are chances that Logue deserves. While he has a much smaller sample size of 17.2 innings, it is clear that he is doing one thing that Jefferies was not – generating outs. Logue had posted a 2.04 ERA and a 1.189 WHiP during his time in Oakland, striking out 14 batters with five walks. Those numbers certainly deserve more of a chance.
Logue may well get more of a chance at Jefferies’ expense, although not how it would have been expected. Yes, room needed to be made for Cole Irvin, and a stint on the Injured List for Jefferies would do just that.
It is also fair to wonder why the A’s are bringing Allen up in a depth role. He is expected to be an essential part of the future but will be used as a depth option during his current stint. Unless he is getting regular playing time in the majors, he is better off in Las Vegas getting those repetitions.
That should happen relatively soon. The A’s could be missing another starter, necessitating that Logue comes back. Considering how he has performed thus far, he never should have left in the first place.
The Oakland A’s may need another pitcher for the rotation once again. Zach Logue’s stint in Las Vegas could only last a couple of days this time.