A's Reinstate Ross Stripling, Option Basso

Jason Burke | Sep 28, 2024

Sep 25, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Brady Basso (66) pitches the ball against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

In an expected move, the Oakland Athletics announced today that right-hander Ross Stripling had been reinstated from the IL after progressing in his rehab schedule over the past week. The team also announced that Brady Basso, who just made his final start of the season on Wednesday, would be the odd-man out and be optioned to the Arizona Complex League.

Stripling is 2-11 this season with Oakland with a 6.08 ERA in 21 games (14 starts). He began the season in the rotation, compiling a 5.72 ERA in those 14 starts, but after a stint on the IL, was moved to the bullpen in August.

Basso, 26, had an interesting beginning to his career this season, being called up on May 14 from Double-A because the team needed an extra arm with so many of their members of the rotation going down right around that time. Paul Blackburn landed on the IL the day before, and Alex Wood would go on the IL for what turned out to be the remainder of the 2024 campaign the day after Basso arrived. The A's would send Basso down a day later, replacing him with Aaron Brooks.

Basso ended up making his big-league debut a couple of weeks later on May 31 in Atlanta, coming out of the bullpen and tossing a clean inning with one strikeout. He'd stick around for one more appearance before another quick trip to the minors.

Even though he made a number of appearances spread throughout the summer, Basso only pitched at the Oakland Coliseum two times, and one of those was the second-to-last game that was ever played there.

He finished September with a 1-1 record in four starts, holding a 3.79 ERA in 19 innings, and looking like he could be in contention for a spot in the A's rotation at the beginning of next season.

Stripling will likely get one more appearance this weekend before hitting free agency. He has previously said that he would be interested in re-signing with the A's, even with the team headed to a minor-league ballpark in 2025.