Athletics ace Sonny Gray shut down three weeks and doubtful for Opening Day

Gray's 2017 isn't going any better than his 2016

If Sonny Gray’s 2017 is going to go better than his 2016, then it’s doing a good job of pretending otherwise.

Gray, the diminutive right-hander who has served as the Oakland Athletics ace the past few seasons, is coming off a miserable season. His 2017 hasn’t started any better. Recently, he was denied insurance coverage to pitch in the World Baseball Classic, and Wednesday he allowed seven runs and uncorked three wild pitches over two innings of work. On Thursday, Gray got worse news -- he’ll be shut down for the next three weeks due to a strained lat:

Sonny Gray has a moderate lat strain and won't throw for three weeks. Takes him out of Opening Day mix.

— Jane Lee (@JaneMLB) March 9, 2017

Opening Day is just over three weeks away, meaning Gray is certain to start the season on the disabled list -- and doesn’t figure to return until mid-to-late April at the earliest. Hopefully -- for both Gray and the A’s -- this time off will help him heal his body and reset his mind -- or do whatever it is he needs to do to summon the Gray of old.

As for the A’s as a whole, Gray’s injury means that the Opening Day nod figures to go to Kendall Graveman or Sean Manaea. This also clears the way for Andrew Triggs to join those two (as well as Jharel Cotton and Jesse Hahn) in the rotation.

Dayn Perry recently previewed the A’s season. SportsLine had the A’s at 75 wins and in last place then -- and that was before we knew Oakland would be without Gray for a while.