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- A’s sent No. 12 prospect Kade Morris back to Triple-A after a nine‑run debut.
- Joey Estes was called up from Triple‑A Las Vegas in the corresponding move.
- A’s fifth rotation spot remains open amid injuries to Severino and Aaron Civale.
The Athletics’ No. 12 overall prospect Kade Morris was sent back down to Triple-A on Tuesday after a tough MLB debut Saturday, when he gave up nine runs before getting pulled in the fifth inning of a start against the Houston Astros.
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The A’s announced the move ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, with right-handed Joey Estes, who holds a 5.95 earned run average with the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, coming up in a corresponding move. Morris had been called up last Tuesday to aid an injury-battered A’s pitching staff, but will likely have to wait a little longer in Triple-A to get another shot in the Majors.
Morris, a 24-year-old Turlock native, gave up at least one run in four separate frames Saturday, but the biggest damage was dealt by a second-inning grand slam off the bat of MVP contender Yordan Alvarez. The righty was later pulled after allowing singles to the first two batters of the fifth inning, both of whom later scored and counted against Morris’ statline.
‘That just sucked’
During his outing, Morris allowed nine hits, three walks and three home runs while fanning four.
“That just sucked,” Morris said postgame, according to MLB.com. “It’s as plain as it gets. First one, I wanted a good one. Just couldn’t get it done.”
After the game, A’s manager Mark Kotsay said pitch location was the biggest problem during Morris’ start, especially during the critical, one-out at-bat against Alvarez.
“For his first outing, it’s a tough at-bat for him to challenge Yordan in that situation,” Kotsay said, according to MLB.com. “There was some positive to the outing. But unfortunately, first time out, execution became a big part of the result.”
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In 11 starts with the Aviators before getting called up, Morris held a 5-3 record and a 4.45 ERA across 60 2/3 innings. He is especially known for his signature sinker that is known for forcing weak contact on the ground.
What’s next for the A’s rotation?
Morris earned his chance in the rotation through solid Triple-A numbers and due to three starters being out of the picture for now. Now, that final spot in the A’s rotation is up for grabs.
Luis Severino and Aaron Civale are both on the injured list, while Jacob Lopez got sent down to Triple-A after pitching to a 6.25 ERA in 12 appearances this season.
Severino won’t be evaluated again until after the All-Star break in mid-July, while Civale is scheduled to make a rehab start with Las Vegas on Thursday, so he may be back soon, according to multiple reports.
In the meantime, Jack Perkins appears to have earned his way back into the rotation alongside surging J.T. Ginn, consistent left-hander Jeffrey Springs and the team’s No. 3 overall prospect Gage Jump, who has earned wins in back-to-back strong starts for the A’s.
The fifth spot may go to 25-year-old Mason Barnett, who was called up on the same day as Morris. Barnett, the A’s No. 17 prospect per MLB Pipeline who has had multiple big-league stints over the last two seasons, strengthened his case for the rotation spot after throwing an impressive four innings of one-hit baseball in a long-relief appearance Friday, striking out seven along the way.
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