Oakland starting pitcher A.J. Puk was placed on the 10-day Injured List with a shoulder strain, a significant blow for the Athletics just days before the MLB season begins.
The Athletics announced Monday that Puk would begin the season on the injured list due to a strain in his left shoulder. After initially suffering the injury in March at the start of spring training, the 25-year-old will now visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache for further evaluation.
Puk’s injury woes began at the University of Florida. Considered the top pitching prospect in the 2016 MLB Draft, he fell to the No. 6 overall pick due to concerns over his durability.
Unfortunately for the A's, the southpaw has continued experiencing trouble staying on the mound. The Athletics shut him down with a biceps injury in March 2018 and he underwent Tommy John surgery one month later.
He made his way back to the mound in 2019, before getting called up in August. The 6-foot-7 hurler made his MLB debut and showed tremendous promise out of the bullpen, posting a 13-5 K-BB ratio in 11.1 innings.
Puk was expected to be a fixture in Oakland’s rotation this season, and the 60-game schedule would have allowed the Athletics to use him without restrictions. Unfortunately for Puk, following the latest setback, the future for this talented pitcher is now more uncertain.
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