In the middle of an already frustrating season, Oakland Athletics starter Sonny Gray now finds himself on the DL.
The Oakland Athletics have placed starting pitcher Sonny Gray on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right trapezius. Left-hander Daniel Coulombe was recalled from Triple-A Nashville to take his spot on the roster.
#Athletics place RHP Sonny Gray on the 15-day disabled list (strained right trapezius); recall LHP Daniel Coulombe from Triple-A Nashville
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) May 22, 2016
Gray has certainly not looked like his usual self thus far in 2016. The 26-year-old righty currently owns a bloated 6.19 ERA through nine starts on the year. Over 48 innings, Gray has served up 55 hits, including eight home runs, while walking 24 and striking out 41. His ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 10.3 H/9, 1.5 HR/9, 4.5 BB/9 and 1.71 K/BB would all be career-worsts by significant margins.
Given Gray’s struggles during the first two months of the campaign, the DL trip may not seem all too surprising to fans. Some might even welcome it as an opportunity for him to heal, gather himself and get back on track. Washing Nationals hurler Stephen Strasburg spent just over a month on the sidelines last year with the same injury, and the difference in his performance was like night and day.
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Strasburg carried a 5.16 ERA through 13 outings before his DL stint, but rebounded to the tune of a 1.90 ERA and .179 batting average against in 10 starts after returning. His strong form has continued into the present season, as he holds a perfect 7-0 record and a 2.80 ERA in nine trips to the hill this year. The Oakland faithful will surely keeps its fingers crossed that Gray experiences a similar rejuvenation.
Of course, there is no guarantee that Gray’s pitching woes are connected to this injury or whether he’s been throwing with the strain for an extended period of time. If not, then he may need to continue searching for other explanations for his uncharacteristic performance. As per Fangraphs PitchF/X, his fastball has averaged 92.5 mph, which is just a tick below the last couple seasons. His problems may be more control-based, a notion Gray backed up after Friday’s loss to the Yankees.
“I just threw a lot of balls and got even in a lot of counts,” he said. “I definitely didn’t put guys away.”
Gray and the A’s know all too well the kind of pitcher he’s capable of being. Between 2014 and 2015, his first two full campaigns in the big leagues, Gray pitched to a 2.91 ERA in 427 frames. Last year he earned his first career All-Star nod and finished third in AL Cy Young voting.
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On an Oakland team not looking to compete this year, Gray was viewed as a potential midseason trade chip. His struggles have definitely put a dent in his value, and the injury further complicates matters. However, if Gray can get back on the mound and re-establish himself as a top-tier starter before the deadline, that could remain a possibility.