Luis Medina Needs a Second Opinion

Jason Burke | Jul 21, 2024

Jul 11, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Luis Medina (46) heads to the bullpen before the start of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland A's placed Luis Medina on the IL with a sprained right elbow a week ago, after he had missed the first two months of the year with a right knee MCL sprain. On Sunday, A's manager Mark Kosay told reporters that Medina is headed back for a second opinion on his elbow.

"He wants to have a second opinion before he determines next steps, whether that is surgery or a different path." The A's manager also said that the first look "definitely shows an injury to the UCL."

The 25-year-old has made eight starts for Oakland this season, pitching to a 5.18 ERA with a 1.58 WHIP. Surgery at this point in the year would end his season, and potentially keep him out for the 2025 campaign as well.

On the positive side, Ross Stripling made his latest rehab start with Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday, throwing five innings, giving up eight hits and two runs, using 52 pitches. Since he was able to eat up so many innings on a low pitch count, he was removed from the game, even though he was scheduled for 75-80 pitches. He threw the rest of those in the bullpen.

Stripling is in Oakland, and will be tossing a bullpen on Monday or Tuesday, at which point his return to the rotation will be determined. The A's do not have a scheduled starter for Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros at the moment, and that would also be the fifth day since his rehab start with Vegas, so he could be slotted in for that game if all goes well.

Finally, Abraham Toro was reinstated from the IL, taking the spot of Jacob Wilson, who was placed on the IL with a mid-belly hamstring strain. There has not been a determination of a timeline for Wilson to return. For those wondering what a mid-belly hamstring strain is, Kotsay described is as the middle of the middle of the hamstring.

Toro was scheduled to play nine innings on both Saturday and Sunday for Las Vegas, but given WIlson's injury, the decision was left up to Toro on whether or not to be activated a day early. He said that the two-game stint wasn't about health, but more to get him to see some exra pitches before returning.