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Oakland A’s getting closer to Brent Honeywell Jr. appearance

By David Hill

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 26: Brent Honeywell Jr. #45 of the Oakland Athletics on the field before the game against the Texas Rangers at RingCentral Coliseum on May 26, 2022 in Oakland, California. The Rangers defeated the Athletics 4-1. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MAY 26: Brent Honeywell Jr. #45 of the Oakland Athletics on the field before the game against the Texas Rangers at RingCentral Coliseum on May 26, 2022 in Oakland, California. The Rangers defeated the Athletics 4-1. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /
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Brent Honeywell Jr. saw his snakebitten professional career continue in predictable ways this year. Even a switch to a new organization did not help, as the intriguing Oakland A’s pitcher was sidelined before the start of the season due to a stress reaction in his right elbow. At the time, it was unclear as to whether or not he would be able to pitch at all this season.

While a return date is still unknown, Honeywell is starting to make progress. He threw 35 pitches from a mound on Saturday, all of which were fastballs and changeups. Honeywell said that he felt good after the session, but the A’s are continuing to proceed cautiously.

Brent Honeywell Jr. slowly getting closer to return for Oakland A’s

Should Honeywell continue to feel pain free in the next couple of days, he is expected to ramp up his bullpens. The next step would be a full bullpen session where he throws his other pitches before facing hitters in a simulated game. From there, it would be a matter of sending Honeywell on a rehab stint to get him ready to contribute at the major league level.

That is something that manager Mark Kotsay is hopeful will happen this year. If his rehab continues at its current pace, Honeywell could be ready to pitch for the A’s at some time in September.

Despite having made just three major league appearances, Honeywell continues to intrigue. He was a consensus top 100 prospect from 2016 through 2019, a pitcher who was considered to be a future ace. He was well on his way to earning a place in the Rays’ rotation before a myriad of injuries and the pandemic left him unable to pitch from 2018 through 2020.

Those days are long in the past at this point. Honeywell still has plenty of potential but no one is expecting that he will become an ace at this point. However, he still has to get on the mound first. The A’s are hoping that, if he can return this year, those appearances can be a springboard for 2023.

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Brent Honeywell Jr. is slowly moving closer to beginning a rehab assignment. It is possible that the Oakland A’s could see him by the end of this year.