Quantcast
Channel: Bob Melvin – Inside the A's
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 32

A’s playing waiting game with Rich Hill; pickle juice to the rescue?

0
0
The A's are still waiting for a more firm timeline on Rich Hill, who left Sunday's start with a blister.

The A’s are still waiting for a more firm timeline on Rich Hill, who left Sunday’s start with a blister.

The A’s are continuing to play the waiting game with Rich Hill and the blister on his finger that caused him to exit Sunday’s start after just five pitches.

“It’s too early to tell,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday about his left-hander. “We thought he didn’t have an issue obviously when he went out to pitch and then, it was the fifth pitch that it actually came open. Probably a little more careful with it right now. It’s probably going to be a few days before we have any kind of inclination of when he’s going to play catch and then potentially start again.”

The A’s remain hopeful that Hill can avoid the disabled list, but are uncertain. At this point, the hope is to get the skin to dry up enough to possibly shave down some of the blister and then strengthen the skin.

Jesse Hahn, currently pitching in Triple-A Nashville, dealt with blisters early last season and tried pickle juice as a remedy — something other pitchers and those with blisters have been known to use.

“I think that’s a bit of primitive-type remedy,” Melvin said. “I have heard that that does work. I’m not sure that we have implemented that at this point yet, but who knows?”

With Hill unavailable for the time-being and Andrew Triggs also injured in that game when he took a line drive off his left calf, the A’s needed some pitching help and Tuesday recalled both Dillon Overton — who will make the start Tuesday against the Astros — and reliever Daniel Coulombe. Triggs was placed on the 15-day disabled list and infielder Tyler Ladendorf was optioned to Nashville to create room on the roster.

“We were under the gun yesterday and we’re going to be under the gun again today,” Melvin said of the need for additional arms. “Triggs was basically our length, the guy that we counted on for length. And not having him and him not responding to the point where we felt comfortable using him in the next couple of days, we made the move. And not having him and him not responding to the point where we felt comfortable using him in the next couple of days, we made the move.”

As for getting by without a backup middle infielder with Ladendorf in Triple-A, Melvin pointed to the A’s versatility and surmised they could shuffle players around if need be. He also suggested the move to add an extra pitcher may be temporary.

* Catcher Josh Phegley resumed some baseball activities Tuesday by swinging a bat and playing some catch and he returns from knee surgery.

Melvin said he’s “on schedule. Not really sure what we’re looking at as far as when we’re going to get him out on a rehab assignment yet, but it’s good that he is starting baseball activities.

* Here’s a look at both lineups:

ASTROS

RF George Springer
1B Marwin Gonzalez
2B Jose Altuve
SS Carlos Correa
3B Luis Valbuena
DH Carlos Gomez
LF Colby Rasmus
C Evan Gattis
CF Jake Marisnick
LHP Dallas Keuchel

ATHLETICS

CF Coco Crisp
2B Jed Lowrie
1B Danny Valencia
LF Khris Davis
SS Marcus Semien
DH Billy Butler
RF Jake Smolinski
3B Ryon Healy
C Matt McBride
LHP Dillon Overton

The post A’s playing waiting game with Rich Hill; pickle juice to the rescue? appeared first on Inside the A's.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 32

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images