A number of Oakland Athletics are working through injuries as we make our way through spring training. Maybe most notably is outfielder Miguel Andujar, who is currently dealing with right calf soreness.
Andujar has been scratched from the lineup the past two days in a row. Athletics' manager Mark Kotsay has said that the injury isn't serious and that it won't affect Andujar's status for opening day.
He's dealt with a number of injuries throughout his career but this is the first calf injury that we know of. As of today, the hope is that Kotsay is right and that Andujar just needs a couple days off to get back to 100%.
The righty had been on fire this spring, hitting .406/.424/.813 in 11 games. His performance has been a bit unexpected but has been a massive boost for an uninspired A's offense.
As reported earlier in the week by Jessica Kleinschmidt, Athletics reliever Angel Felipe has undergone successful Tommy John surgery and will miss the entirety of the 2024 season.
Felipe was dealing with arm soreness dating back a couple weeks and unfortunately had to go under the knife to resolve the issue.
The young right hander was claimed off waivers from the Padres last summer and made his MLB debut in Oakland on July 7th. He threw 15 innings in the big leagues and posted a 4.20 ERA with 19 strikeouts, though he did walk nearly a batter per inning.
Felipe was on the 40-man so his placement on the 60-day IL will create an open roster spot. It's unclear who the Athletics will replace him with, though there are a dozen or so pitchers still in camp who could realistically fill the role.
Left handed reliever Scott Alexander is reportedly dealing with a stress reaction in his ribs. The team has not announced a timeline for his return and his status for opening day is in question.
The A's brought Alexander in on a major league contract about a month ago to serve as left handed depth in the bullpen. If he's going to start the year on the IL, the A's might need to use Felipe's 40-man spot on a left handed pitcher.
At present, Kyle Muller and Sean Newcomb are the two lefties in the major league bullpen. Hogan Harris and Brady Basso are also on the 40-man, but Basso probably isn't ready to face major league hitters yet.
It's possible one of Jack O'Loughlin or Easton Lucas would get a look if the A's need a replacement. Francisco Perez is also in camp but had some rough outings last year and has not looked good in limited time this spring.
Lastly, shortstop Nick Allen is working through a back injury. According to Kleinschmidt, Allen is making progress and should be back in action within the next week or so.
Allen had been much improved at the plate this spring and was in a healthy competition with Darell Hernaiz for the opening day shortstop job.
Allen has superior defense but was dismal at the plate the last two seasons. He'd looked much better in limited time this year but will need to continue to take steps forward if he wants to keep his job in the majors. A combined .214/.260/.289 is just not enough to get the job done.
We'll be keeping a close eye on Allen over the next couple weeks to see if he's able to get back to 100% and keep pushing Hernaiz for the starting job.