Paul Blackburn, Ross Stripling Set for Bullpens This Week
The Oakland A's have been without right-handers Paul Blackburn and Ross Stripling for weeks now, but both pitchers are with the team on the current road trip, and each has a bullpen scheduled for this week.
Blackburn, currently on the 60-day IL, has been out since May 10 with a stress reaction in his foot. A's manager Mark Kotsay told reporters in Anaheim that he will be throwing a bullpen on Wednesday. A pitch count was not discussed, but it will presumably be in the 25-35 pitch range.
The 30-year-old veteran has a 4.11 ERA on the season with a 1.15 WHIP in eight starts. He is not eligible to return from the IL until July 10, so there will be at least a couple of weeks before he is on the mound again in Oakland. Once he is deemed ready to begin a rehab stint, he'll likely need a few starts in the minors to build his arm strength back up. While he's eligible on July 10, it could be closer to the end of July before he's back on the A's roster, based on the timeline, how he feels after those starts, and what his starting pitch limit will be. The A's tend to move that limit up by 15 pitches or so from start to start, and want them at 85 pitches before they're activated.
Stripling has been out since May 24, and has not found himself on the 60-day IL, so he is already eligible to return. That said, his bullpen on Tuesday will be the first in his road to recovery, and he will likely need a few before the next steps are discussed. His return will likely happen next month as well, but he may not need as many rehab games since he hasn't missed as much time.
Kyle Muller, who landed on the IL the same day as Stripling, will begin his rehab assignment on Tuesday with Las Vegas. Muller has been having a much better second year with the green and gold, posting a 3.48 ERA in 33 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. The big key for him has been lowering his walk rate, which sits at five percent, or half of what it was last season.
JASON BURKE
Jason is the host of the Locked on A's podcast, and the managing editor of Inside the A's. He's a new father and can't wait to take his son to his first baseball game at the Coliseum.