Oakland Athletics: Andrew Triggs out for the year, rotation even more shallow

The Oakland Athletics have had a rough year so far and they are in contention for being the worst team in the league. Their rotation has been inconsistent, but no signs of improvement are coming, especially with the injury to right-hander Andrew Triggs.

Andrew Triggs had a blistering – and surprising – start to the 2017 season, not allowing an earned run until his fourth start. Now the 28-year-old hurler will have to wait until next season to toe the rubber again.

The rookie pitcher underwent surgery Friday to repair a hip injury he suffered last month. He is expected to return by Spring Training next year, per San Francisco Chronicle reporter Susan Slusser.

Triggs essentially had two outcomes when he started, either getting shelled or putting up bagels. Of his 12 starts, he yielded one run or fewer in seven of them. He surrendered five or more runs in four of the other five.

Considering his stuff isn’t electric or perplexing, analysts figured the former USC product was all smoke and mirrors.

Triggs is a prototypical Doug Fister-type guy, focusing on issuing ground balls rather than overpowering opposing hitters. Nearly half of the batted balls against him were ground balls, but around 30 percent of all balls were hit hard, per Fangraphs. Those numbers don’t tread far from his career numbers in the minors.

The decision doesn’t necessarily affect the outcome of the Athletics’ season. Oakland has been deemed one of the most unlikely teams to make the playoffs after a poor first half.

But the A’s have tried to develop their young talent in the meantime, promoting top prospects like shortstop Franklin Barreto and allowing several pitchers to log innings in the big leagues, at least when they are healthy. Eight players currently sit on the disabled list.

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Oakland has used 12 different starting pitchers so far. Only the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds have used more. By that notion, it’s not surprising the A’s have one of the worst pitching staffs in the league.

It’s been that way for the past three seasons too. Oakland has ranked in the bottom 10 in team ERA in that span after posting a top-five ERA in 2014.

With Triggs out, the A’s will lose a chance to stretch out a guy who could play a role in the rotation in the near future, but it also gives more pitchers opportunities to shine. It may be too soon to see any action from revered pitching prospects A.J. Puk and Grant Holmes, but other guys should get a shot.

Next: Potential landing spots for Sonny Gray

Either way, it will be a while before Oakland’s pitching rotation gets back into shape, especially without ace Sonny Gray, who will likely be dealt sooner rather than later.