Apr 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Joey Estes (68) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Update on Injured A's Starter

Originally posted on Oakland Athletics on SI
By Jason Burke | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 5:12 PM ET

After making the Athletics rotation out of camp, right-hander Joey Estes struggled in his first two starts of the season against the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies, and was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas where he'd spend the majority of the season.

The 23-year-old made 17 appearances (15 starts) for the Aviators this season and held a 4-4 record with a 5.51 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He was having some trouble with home runs, allowing 17 dingers in just 80 innings pitched, which is in addition to the four he gave up in three games (11 innings) with the A's.

That said, he'd been pitching better in the two minor-league outings before his call-up, totaling 11 innings and seven hits allowed against Tacoma, giving up just one earned run, three walks, and striking out eight. He was certainly taking a step in the right direction, and when he returned to the A's late last week, he shut down Tacoma's parent club too.

Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Estes made his return to the A's roster on August 22, and tossed four innings of scoreless relief against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, giving up just one hit while walking one. Given his performance and yet another A's starter going on the IL, it appeared as though the righty was in line to make his return to the rotation on Saturday.

However, on Wednesday, the A's placed Estes on the IL with a herniated disc in his lower back. A's manager Mark Kotsay recently went into a little more detail on the injury.

"It was not a real issue while he was down in Triple-A, but there were some times where he was tight. He felt tightness after Sunday's outing. Monday he came in, expressed a similar feeling of what he was dealing with in some starts in Triple-A, so we decided to get an image of it.

" I don't know if the medical release is out yet, but he's got a little herniation, which we'll have to decide which route we go. Generally herniation takes time to calm down, and options will be non-invasive or if it doesn't get better through that portion, then we'll have to see if there's a different route."

Given that we're about to enter the final month of the season, it would appear as though Estes may not be slated for a return in 2025, given that the injury will at the very least need time to recover. How much this impacts him moving forward into the offseason remains to be seen.

This article first appeared on Oakland Athletics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: