The Oakland Athletics need all hands on deck as they prepare for a playoff push late into the season. That now reportedly includes calling up the team’s No. 2 prospect, pitcher A.J. Puk.
A first-round pick back in 2016, Puk’s career was derailed to an extent after he missed the entire 2018 season with Tommy John Surgery.
The hard-throwing lefty had been working out of the pen since returning to action. He’s pitched to a 4-1 record with a 5.73 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in nine appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas. He figures to be a starter over the long term, but will pitch out of the pen initially.
Puk, 24, joins a revamped Athletics pitching staff that added Homer Bailey and Tanner Roark in separate trades and signed Matt Harvey to a minor league deal.
Oakland heads into this week’s action with a 71-53 record and 1.5 games out of the final wildcard spot in the AL. It just took three of four against Houston and is 7.5 games behind in the American League West.