Athletics' Jacob Lopez: Allows five hits and walks five
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Lopez (0-1) took the loss Monday against Atlanta, allowing three runs on five hits and five walks without recording a strikeout across four innings.
Lopez generated just four whiffs on 91 pitches, and his fastball velocity was down 1.4 mph from his 2025 average of 90.8 mph. The 28-year-old started 17 games for the Athletics last season and turned in a respectable 4.08 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 113:37 K:BB across 92.2 innings. His stuff will need to improve moving forward if he's going to build on that in 2026. Lopez's next start is scheduled for Sunday at home against the Astros.
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Athletics' Luis Morales: Allows three homers in loss
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Morales (0-1) took the loss against the Blue Jays on Sunday, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
Morales threw just 41 of 71 pitches for strikes and was undone by homers in the first, third and fourth innings. The 23-year-old posted an impressive 3.14 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 43:18 K:BB across 48.2 innings down the stretch in 2025, but he carried a rough spring into his season debut. He'll look to rebound in a home matchup against the Giants next weekend.
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Athletics' Scott Barlow: Blows save in 10th Saturday
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Barlow was charged with his first blown save of the season Saturday, giving up an unearned run on a hit and a walk in the 10th inning of an 8-7 extra-innings loss to the Blue Jays. He struck out one.
After Elvis Alvarado, Hogan Harris and Michael Kelly made a hash of things in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to let the game get to extras, the A's grabbed a 7-6 lead in the top of the 10th and handed the ball to Barlow. He wasn't able to get to the job done, and he very nearly took the loss when Addison Barger's deep drive to right field fell a foot or two shy of being a walk-off homer rather than a game-tying sacrifice fly. The A's closer situation remains muddy, but Barlow at least has a 0.00 ERA through his first two appearances and 2.2 innings.
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Athletics' Jeffrey Springs: Comes away with no-decision
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Springs didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 8-7 extra-innings loss to the Blue Jays, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out two.
The veteran southpaw tossed 51 of 83 pitches for strikes in a stingy performance. Springs set career highs in 2025 with 171 innings and 11 wins, but his 4.11 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 138:54 K:BB highlight his somewhat limited fantasy appeal. He'll try to give the A;s more quality innings in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home next weekend against the Astros.
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Athletics' Luis Severino: No-decision vs. Toronto
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Severino did not factor into the decision in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays. He allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three across five innings.
Severino went relatively unscathed through the first four innings of Friday's start. He allowed the Blue Jays to take the lead after yielding a two-run triple to Andres Gimenez in the fifth frame, but Severino escaped with the no-decision after Shea Langeliers tied things up at 2-2 in the ninth with a solo homer off Jeff Hoffman. It was a solid start to the season for Severino, who is looking to bounce back from a 2025 campaign in which he posted an 8-11 record (across 29 starts) with a 4.54 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 124:50 K:BB across 162.2 innings. He's slated to make his next start next week on the road against Atlanta.
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Athletics' Gunnar Hoglund: Lands on injured list
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Hoglund was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday due to a sprained right knee.
It's been reported that Hoglund has been dealing with both a knee and back injury during camp, but it's the knee issue that has landed him on the IL to begin the 2026 campaign. The club has yet to reveal a timetable for his return, but he'll miss at least the first week or so of the regular season -- if not longer -- while on the mend.
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Athletics' Luis Medina: Ticketed for bullpen
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The Athletics announced Monday that Medina will be part of the team's bullpen to begin the season, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Medina could merit consideration for a spot in the rotation later on in the season, but at least to begin the campaign, he'll likely operate as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen. Deploying Medina in relief should allow the Athletics to better manage the right-hander's workload over the course of the campaign, after he missed all of 2025 while completing his recovery from his Aug. 6, 2024 Tommy John surgery. Medina faced no restrictions during spring training but showed shaky command in the Cactus League, allowing six earned runs on six hits while posting a 5:9 K:BB in 7.1 innings.
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Athletics' Jack Perkins: Falls short of roster spot
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The Athletics optioned Perkins to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Perkins came to camp in the mix for a spot either in the rotation or bullpen, but he didn't win either after allowing four runs with a 7:7 K:BB over nine Cactus League frames. The 26-year-old remains one of the club's more talented arms and should play a role with the big club in 2026. Perkins will likely open the season in the Sacramento rotation.
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Athletics' Elvis Alvarado: Returns from WBC
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Alvarado allowed two hits and a walk across a scoreless inning in Thursday's Cactus League loss to the Mariners.
Alvarado got into a jam in the eighth inning by loading the bases but escaped without allowing a run. This marked the right-hander's first outing back with the Athletics after tossing 1.2 scoreless innings across two appearances for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. Coming off a 2025 season in which he posted a 3.19 ERA and 1.32 WHIP across 42.1 innings, Alvarado could see save opportunities as the A's plan to deploy a closer-by-committee approach, though he has yet to record his first big-league save.
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Athletics' Aaron Civale: Dominant in spring start
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Civale allowed two hits and no walks with 11 strikeouts across six scoreless innings in Thursday's Cactus League loss to the Mariners.
Civale was in control throughout Thursday's start, consistently generating whiffs and tallying 11 strikeouts -- a mark he hasn't reached in regular-season play since 2023. This was a much-needed positive outing for the right-hander, who had surrendered eight runs across 7.2 innings in his previous two Cactus League appearances. After splitting time between the Brewers, White Sox and Cubs and posting a combined 4.85 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 23 regular-season appearances (18 starts) and 102 innings in 2025, Civale inked a one-year deal with the Athletics in February and is in line to slot into the starting rotation.
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Athletics' Luis Severino: Secures Opening Day start
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Severino will start the Athletics' March 27 season opener versus the Blue Jays in Toronto, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
This will be Severino's second consecutive Opening Day start and his third overall. The 32-year-old is coming off the worst season of his MLB career (20-start minimum) as he had a 4.54 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 124:50 K:BB over 162.2 innings last year. The two-time All-Star has not been able to recapture the stretch he had from 2017 to 2022, when he had a 3.10 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Since then, the right-hander has had a 4.71 ERA and 1.35 WHIP across the past three seasons.
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Athletics' Jeffrey Springs: Scoreless spring start
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Springs allowed three hits and three walks across 4.2 scoreless innings in Monday's Cactus League win over the Angels. He struck out four.
Springs turned in his longest outing of the spring, working through a bases-loaded jam in the first inning before ultimately pitching into the fifth frame without allowing a run. It's been an up-and-down showing in Cactus League play, as the southpaw has delivered two scoreless outings but combined to allow 10 runs in his other two starts. Walks have been an issue, with the 33-year-old issuing nine free passes across 11.1 innings after posting a respectable 2.8 BB/9 over 171 innings last year. Springs is expected to slot into the middle of the rotation in the regular season for his second campaign with the Athletics in 2026.
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Athletics' Matt Krook: Falls short in bid for roster
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The Athletics reassigned Krook to minor-league camp Sunday.
Krook was one of 11 players sent out in the Athletics' latest round of roster cuts. The 31-year-old left-hander spent most of the 2025 season at the Triple-A level but made three appearances in the majors with the Athletics, giving up two earned runs on five hits and one walk over 3.1 innings.
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Athletics' Scott Barlow: Should be in closer mix
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Barlow could begin the season as an option in the Athletics' closer committee, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.
The veteran right-hander joined the A's on a one-year, $2 million contract in February after posting a 4.21 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 75:45 K:BB over 68.1 innings for the Reds during the 2025 regular season. Barlow recorded one save and 16 holds, but he tallied 53 saves from 2021-23 and is an experienced high-leverage option for manager Mark Kotsay. The skipper shifted to a heavy committee approach last season after closer Mason Miller departed at the trade deadline, so the fantasy upside could be limited in this closing situation unless Kotsay's approach changes.
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Athletics' Mark Leiter: Option for closer committee
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Leiter could be a factor in the Athletics' closer committee to begin the season, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.
The right-hander joined the A's on a one-year, $3 million contract in December after being non-tendered by the Yankees earlier in the offseason. Leiter had a 4.84 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 54:17 K:BB across 48.1 innings during the 2025 regular season, recording two saves and 16 holds in 59 appearances. Athletics manager Mark Kotsay utilized a heavy committee approach last year after the departure of closer Mason Miller at the trade deadline, and Leiter figures to be a part of that mix early in 2026 despite his underwhelming numbers last year. He's given up one run on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks through four outings in spring training.
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Athletics' Justin Sterner: Could be outside closer mix
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Sterner has given up four runs on four hits while striking out 12 and walking three across six innings during spring training, and Jason Burke of SI.com didn't list him as a closer candidate for the A's.
Sterner was effective as a rookie last season with 16 holds to go along with a 3.18 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 70:21 K:BB across 65 innings, though he didn't pick up any saves, even after closer Mason Miller was traded away at the deadline. Burke listed Hogan Harris as the early favorite for saves with Scott Barlow and Mark Leiter also in the mix, though manager Mark Kostay isn't expected to utilize a true closer in the traditional sense. Sterner still figures to pick up some saves this season if he pitches similarly to 2025.
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Jose Leclerc: Throws bullpen Friday
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Leclerc (lat) threw a bullpen session Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Leclerc is currently a free agent and is working his way back from shoulder surgery after being diagnosed with a lat strain last April, and the 32-year-old is still tracking toward a July return. Leclerc was very effective in relief with the Rangers from 2022-24 and should draw interest once healthy.
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Athletics' Braden Nett: Dispatched to Triple-A
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The Athletics optioned Nett to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.
Acquired by the Athletics from the Padres in July, Nett ended up spending the entire 2025 season at the Double-A level between the two organizations, logging a 3.75 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 116:48 K:BB across 105.2 innings. The 23-year-old right-hander is expected to spend nearly all of the 2026 campaign at Triple-A but put himself in consideration for a promotion to the big leagues in the second half if he's able find early success in the Pacific Coast League.
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Athletics' Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang: Opening season in minors
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The Athletics optioned Zhuang to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.
Zhunag will make the jump up to the Pacific Coast League to begin the 2026 campaign after he spent all of last season at Double-A Midland, where he turned in a 4.08 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 145:35 K:BB in 145.2 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander was added to the Athletics' 40-man roster over the winter but is likely to find himself behind several other minor-league arms for a call-up to the majors.
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Athletics' Geoff Hartlieb: Cut from big-league camp
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The Athletics reassigned Hartlieb to minor-league camp Monday.
Hartlieb had been attending big-league camp as a non-roster invitee, but any hope he had of being part of the Athletics' Opening Day bullpen ended after he allowed eight runs (seven earned) over 2.1 innings across four Cactus League appearances. The 32-year-old is likely to serve as organizational relief depth at the Triple-A level throughout the 2026 season.