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Oakland A’s need to worry about 2023 with Sam Moll

By David Hill

Aug 28, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Sam Moll (60) delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees in the seventh inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 28, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Sam Moll (60) delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees in the seventh inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sam Moll had finally established himself in the majors during his second stint with the Oakland A’s.

After eight years in the minors and five different organizations, Moll had all of 19 major league appearances heading into this season. However, after A’s gutted their roster, he was set to finally get a chance. Moll seized that opportunity and ran with it, establishing himself as a possible building block in the A’s future bullpen.

Sam Moll has established himself with Oakland A’s

That solid showing has now taken a back seat. Moll was placed on the Injured List on Friday due to a strained left shoulder as Jared Keonig was brought back to the majors to take his spot.

The A’s are also not ruling out a return this season. Moll will undergo exams and tests when the A’s return to Oakland to determine the severity of his injuries. Once the extent of his shoulder woes are determined, the A’s will figure out a timeline for a potential return.

Instead, the A’s should take another tack. It would make more sense to shut Moll down for the rest of the season, allowing him to be healthy for the 2023 campaign. The A’s clearly are not going anywhere this season and entering next year with one of their better relievers healthy and ready to go will be a boost heading into the year.

Moll also does not have anything left to prove this season. He had posted a 2.91 ERA and a 1.269 WHiP in his 43.1 innings, striking out 46 batters with 22 walks. His 53 appearances are the fourth most on the A’s this season as he has been one of their steadiest options in the bullpen.

That is the important part. The A’s have cycled through plenty of bullpen options this year as they struggled to find a viable core. Even if the tests determine that Moll has a minor injury, there is no reason to risk it becoming worse with nothing to play for.

A's have their own magic number. dark. Next

The Oakland A’s are hoping that Sam Moll can return before the end of the season. They are better off shutting him down with an eye on 2023.