A's Ken Waldichuk throws bullpen

Jason Burke | Apr 3, 2024

Sep 11, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Ken Waldichuk (64) delivers a / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

A's starter Ken Waldichuk threw a bullpen ahead of Wednesday's contest against the Boston Red Sox as he continues to progress towards getting back on the field following a flexor tendon strain and UCL ligament sprain he suffered at the end of last season. He threw 25 pitches, all fastballs, and said he came out healthy, which is what matters.

This was Waldichuk's second time throwing off a mound since October of last year, so Wednesday's session was more about finding his mechanics again, rather than location.

The next step, per the left-hander, is to throw another bullpen in three or four days. Whether he will be sticking purely to fastballs or throwing more of his arsenal is still undetermined at this point.

Waldichuk, 26, was acquired as part of the Frankie Montas trade with the New York Yankees in 2022 and made his MLB debut shortly after the deal. Last season he split time between starting and relieving, racking up 141 innings in 35 games (22 starts). He finished the year with a 5.36 ERA and a 5.30 FIP, striking out 20.7% and walking 11.1% of the batters he faced.

While the overall numbers aren't quite what the club was hoping for when they acquired him, Waldichuk put up a 4.04 ERA across 69 second-half innings, which was a little better than the league's average ERA of 4.39 in the second half.

The southpaw is currently on the 60-day IL and is eligible to return to the A's on May 27. While his timeline is still a bit up in the air, the hope for Waldichuk this season is that he will pick up where he left off in 2023 after a string of rehab games in the minors.