James Kaprielian, Paul Blackburn Expected To Be Ready
2 years agoThe Oakland Athletics expect starting pitchers James Kaprielian (shoulder) and Paul Blackburn (finger) to be ready for spring training, according to general manager David Forst. It's the reason the team felt comfortable trading left-hander Cole Irvin to the Baltimore Orioles this week. Kaprielian had surgery to fix the AC joint in his right-shoulder in the offseason. The 28-year-old figures to be a fixture in the A's rotation after posting a 4.23 ERA (4.63 FIP), 1.34 WHIP and 17 percent strikeout rate in a career-high 26 starts in his third MLB season in 2022. Blackburn was excellent for Oakland before a finger caused him to be shut down in July. The 29-year-old was an All-Star last for the first time last year and went 7-6 with a 4.28 ERA (4.21 FIP), 1.26 WHIP and career-high 19.1 percent strikeout rate in a career-high 21 starts in his sixth season in Oakland.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Matt Kawahara