A’s Send Two Starters to DL

The Oakland A’s lost a pair of starters to the DL Friday.  One move was expected while the other came as more of a surprise.

Right hander Tyson Ross left his last start Thursday against Minnesota after throwing only 7 pitches.  The 24 year old felt a pull in his left side, and will join the team’s 15 day disabled list due to what has been diagnosed as a Grade 2 oblique strain.

Ross was the A’s replacement for injured starter Dallas Braden, who is set to miss the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Entering the year as one of the A’s top prospects, Ross has pitched well for the team.  Before his early exit Thursday, 4 of Ross’s 5 starts had been quality.  He logged 36 innings for the A’s at an ERA of 2.50.

The team also announced that Brandon McCarthy with be placed on the 15 day disabled list because of a stress reaction in his shoulder.  A stress reaction is a precursor to a fracture.

The announcement caught most by surprise, as there were no recent signs of McCarthy’s ailment.  He was able to go a full 7 innings his last start, and nothing had been reported wrong until yesterday.

McCarthy’s shoulder was apparently bothering him before his 91 pitch effort Wednesday, and an exam revealed the stress reaction Thursday.

This is not a new situation for the 27 year old; McCarthy has been sidelined due to shoulder problems three other times in his career.

The A’s now have to find replacements for Ross and McCarthy, two starters with ERAs under 3.50.

Back when it was discovered that Dallas Braden would miss the season, I thought the team could handle the blow thanks to Ross and AAA depth.  Now with two arms going down and the uncertainty surrounding the length of time they will miss, it will definitely be a more difficult task to fill out the rotation.

While relievers have been called up to fill out the A’s roster and offer some relief to the pen, the team will need to decide on starters for Monday and Tuesday’s games.  Right now manager Bob Geren is considering AAA starters Josh Outman and Guillermo Moscoso.