A's lose another starting pitcher to injury

MESA, Ariz. — A's starter Paul Blackburn has a strained right forearm that will force him to miss the start of the regular season, but an MRI exam Thursday revealed no structural damage.

That's what passes as good news in A's camp these days.

In the wake of Tommy John surgery for Jharel Cotton and a mysterious ailment surrounding prospect A.J. Puk, the prognosis surrounding Blackburn came as something as a relief.

Bob Melvin acknowledged that he feared Blackburn might be headed for Tommy John surgery, too.

'It's nice to know that's not going to be the case with him,' the A's manager said.

Instead, Blackburn will get 10 days of rest to see if that eases the soreness in his throwing arm. After that, Blackburn said, he can 'move forward' with his preparations for the season if he feels well enough to do so.

'Yeah, it's definitely disappointing,' said Blackburn, 24, who grew up in Brentwood. 'You prepare all off-season to start the year healthy. That's not the case for me, and there's nothing you can do about it. I'm not going to sit here and feel sorry for myself. I'm just going to train and prepare to get back.'

Though the injury was deemed minor, Blackburn's injury is still a blow to an A's rotation lacking depth. As Melvin said, the list of ailing arms is 'starting to get fairly significant right now.'

Cotton is out for the season and Puk, who impressed in spring training before being optioned to the minors, is sidelined with biceps soreness, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. (The A's have yet to confirm Puk's injury).

Blackburn's injury essentially seals the A's opening day rotation by default. There are five healthy pitchers remaining for five spots: Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea, Daniel Mengden, Daniel Gossett and Andrew Triggs.

Triggs, who gave up three runs (two earned) over 5-1/3 innings against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday, sympathized with his teammates headed for the disabled list.

'You throw long enough, you're going go have injuries,' he said. 'So I really feel for those guys. . We all know what it's like not to be at optimal health.'

• Trevor Cahill, who signed with his old team Monday on a one-year, $1.5 million deal, made his 2018 debut in the 4-2 loss to the Rockies.

Cahill pitched two scoreless innings, allowing no hits and two walks with three strikeouts. He threw 36 pitches.

'It was pretty similar to what we've seen in the past,' Melvin said, referring to Cahill's previous stint with the A's (2009-11). 'Good overhand sink, up to 93 (mph), good slider, good curveball. Pretty good for the first time out.'

The A's will aim to get Cahill up to three innings during the upcoming Bay Bridge series against the Giants. But the A's will not rush him into the rotation, even though Cahill has started 188 of his 283 career games.

Cahill will open the season in the bullpen as the A's look for ways to work up his pitch count.

• Though Shohei Ohtani is off to a slow start for the Los Angeles Angels this spring, Melvin expects the Japanese pitching / hitting sensation to be ready when the Opening Day bell rings.

'We know he's a very talented guy,' Melvin said.

The A's open the regular season with four games against the Angels in Oakland. Though the Angels have yet to announce plans, Melvin suspects Ohtani will be on the mound at some point during that series.

The Angels signed the ballyhooed 23-year-old Japanese star in December. Ohtani is attempting to become the first player since Babe Ruth in 1919 to be a starting pitcher and an everyday player.

• Marcus Semien went 2 for 4 with a double and a home run against the Rockies. Those were his first extra-base hits of the spring, and they came with the shortstop hitting leadoff in the batting order.

Semien got 33 starts as a leadoff hitter last year and posted a .746 OPS in that spot, compared to a .705 OPS in his 47 starts hitting second.

Melvin said Semien will be in the leadoff spot occasionally in 2018, especially against left-handed pitchers. 'I'm just giving him some experience in the spot,' he said.

• Melvin said that the starting center field battle, down to Dustin Fowler and Boog Powell, could be the last decision the A's make this spring. The team is proceeding cautiously with Fowler, who is coming off a knee injury, but the debate continues.

'We haven't made a decision there because we feel like Fowler is coming along at a pace where he's swinging the bat a lot better now,' Melvin said.

• A game-worn, autographed Reggie Jackson jersey from the A's first season in Oakland is available in a Leland Classic Auction. Bidding for the 1968 uniform, with No. 9 on the back, opened at $10,000 but reached $23,581 by Thursday afternoon.

The auction closes Friday at lelands.com.