Athletics' Mitch Spence: Getting another turn in rotation
Rotowire
Spence will start Tuesday's game against the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Spence will make a third consecutive start for the A's after opening the season as a long reliever. Spence has lasted 4.2 innings and 3.0 innings across his first two starts, yielding three runs and striking out eight over that stretch. He's thrown 77 and 70 pitches during those two outings, respectively, and shouldn't be a viable fantasy option in most formats.
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Athletics' Mitch Spence: Lasts three frames in no-decision
Rotowire
Spence did not factor into the decision in a loss to the Rockies on Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks over three innings while striking out four.
Spence got knocked around early, surrendering a leadoff single to Charlie Blackmon to open the contest, followed by a two-run shot off the bat of Elias Diaz three batters later. Those would be the only two runs allowed by the right-hander on the night, though he continued to struggle with his command, needing 27 pitches to get through the third inning alone. Spence has been unable to get through five innings in either of his first two starts and also matched his season high with three walks Wednesday.
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Athletics' Mitch Spence: Awarded second start
Rotowire
Spence is slated to start Wednesday's game against the Rockies in Oakland.
He'll be making his second straight turn through Oakland's injury-depleted rotation. After working mostly as a long reliever for the first seven weeks of the season, Spence was already fairly stretched out for his first MLB start last Friday in Kansas City. He tossed 4.2 innings (77 pitches) and took a loss to the Royals while striking out four and giving up one earned run on five hits and one walk. The Athletics should give Spence a longer leash Wednesday if he pitches as efficiently against the Rockies as he did in his 4.2 innings in Kansas City.
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Athletics' Mitch Spence: Dominant for third win Tuesday
Rotowire
Spence (3-1) got the win against the Pirates on Tuesday, firing three scoreless, one-hit innings during which he recorded two strikeouts.
Spence got the fifth-inning call after starter Alex Wood labored to the tune of 93 pitches over four frames. As has become increasingly customary, Spence delivered an impressive multi-inning effort, his third three-inning scoreless outing over his last four appearances. Spence now has victories in back-to-back appearances as well and sports a 2.84 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB across his eight trips to the mound.
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Athletics' Mitch Spence: Gets first win despite struggles
Rotowire
Spence (1-1) got the win over the Nationals on Sunday despite allowing two earned runs on four hits over 1.2 innings. He struck out one.
Spence took over for embattled starter Alex Wood with one out in the fifth inning and induced an inning-ending double play. However, the right-hander worked himself into trouble in the sixth, eventually surrendered RBI singles to Joey Meneses and Lane Thomas as the Nationals built a seemingly commanding 6-1 lead. Nevertheless, Spence was bailed out when the typically light-hitting Athletics put together an improbable six-run rally in the home half of the frame and held on for the one-run victory. Spence has been scored on in each of his first four big-league appearances, but the fact two of those outings have been three innings in length and one of the runs was unearned has helped lead to a serviceable 4.15 ERA across 8.2 frames.
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Athletics' Mitch Spence: Takes loss Tuesday
Rotowire
Spence (0-1) was charged with the loss in extra innings against the Red Sox on Tuesday, allowing one unearned run on one hit over one inning.
Spence got the call in the 11th inning after closer Mason Miller had already thrown 29 pitches over the prior pair of frames. Spence's loss was primarily of the tough-luck variety, as the one run he surrendered came on a Tyler O'Neill double play groundout that scored inning-opening runner Reese McGuire. Spence was effective in his first appearance of the season on Friday against the Guardians, and Tuesday's nearly clean outing shouldn't blemish the perception he could be a reliable multi-inning relief option for manager Mark Kotsay.
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Athletics' Mitch Spence: Drawing Cactus League start Monday
Rotowire
Spence, a Rule 5 pick this winter, will start Monday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks in place of Ross Stripling (finger), MLB.com reports.
The right-hander, who logged 39 starts over the last two minor-league seasons with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees organization, will be evaluated in game action sooner than expected thanks to the cut on Stripling's right index finger. Spence posted an 11-10 mark with a 4.26 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across the 215.1 innings covering the aforementioned sample, but his best chance of sticking on the Athletics' roster is likely as a reliever.
