The Colorado Rockies-Oakland Athletics series this weekend won't impact either team's playoff aspirations, as the main thing hovering over these games is which players are going to be poached ahead of the trade deadline.
Colorado and Oakland represent the worst of the NL and AL, respectively, and won't generate many headlines outside of trade buzz. But for the host Rockies, the series starts on a high note with left-hander Kyle Freeland returning from a dislocated shoulder to pitch Friday's first game in Denver.
Freeland (4-10, 4.72 ERA) will make his first start since suffering his injury July 9 in San Francisco, while the A's counter with JP Sears (1-7, 4.19) on Friday night.
Freeland injured his right (non-throwing) shoulder when he dove for a popup in San Francisco in the last game before the All-Star break. It marked yet another injury for Colorado's rotation, but he made a quick recovery and was declared ready to go after throwing a bullpen session in Washington on Tuesday.
"That was one of the worst, worst, worst feelings I've had, pitching-injury-wise," Freeland said. "It's the first time I've ever dislocated a joint in my life, so it was the first time I got to experience that."
Freeland, who is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA in two career starts against Oakland, returns just when the Rockies suffered another loss with Kris Bryant going on the injured list with a fractured left index finger. It is Bryant's fifth stint on the IL since signing with Colorado in March 2022 and takes a possible trade chip off the market.
The A's are in the market for prospects and a possible move to Las Vegas, which has generated more news than their play on the field. Oakland is headed toward its worst season since 1916 and relocation seems likely.
The A's have found a way to stay competitive since 2000 despite tight annual budgets, but things have bottomed out this year. They've already traded Shintaro Fujinami to Baltimore in exchange for relief prospect Easton Lucas.
Other players have been rumored to be available before Tuesday's deadline. Trevor May, Paul Blackburn and Seth Brown are among those for whom Oakland would entertain offers, which means the lineup over the weekend could be in constant flux.
So is the possible relocation, which has been met with anger from the fan base, evident by vocal protests when the A's played in San Francisco this week.
"We're four and a half months into this season, so it's not unchartered territory for us," Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. "We understand the fans' frustration and emotion behind the chants and we continue to move on and play the game and not let it be a distraction."
The hot, thin air in Denver on Friday will be enough distraction for Sears, who is facing the Rockies for the first time in his young career. He is looking for his first win since June 11 at Milwaukee.
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