NewsA's contemplating six-man rotation
Oakland (51-64) vs. Chicago (59-57), 1:05 p.m. PT
By Adam Loberstein / MLB.com
08/15/09 1:38 AM ET
OAKLAND -- The A's will shift back from their four-man, all-rookie rotation to the conventional five-man approach on Tuesday, and it's becoming clearer and clearer who that fifth man will be. "Right now, it'll probably be [Justin] Duchscherer or [Dallas] Braden," said manager Bob Geren, whose A's face the White Sox in the second game of a three-game series Saturday. Your thoughts, Dallas Braden? Would you rule yourself and your infected left ankle out for Tuesday? "Yeah, pretty much," Braden said. "We still need to discuss a side session. Any kind of rehab start has to be determined as well. ...[The ankle] is coming along well. The swelling has subsided for the most part and it's starting to loosen up." Braden said he'd likely be good to go in another 10 days. "Generally in that time frame," he said. Duchscherer, who had elbow surgery in March, made his third rehab start on Thursday. He threw five scoreless innings with Oakland's Arizona League affiliate. He hasn't allowed a run in 11 innings over three rehab appearances -- the other two coming with Class A Stockton (two innings) then Triple-A Sacramento (four innings). Geren said he thinks Duchscherer is ready to return to Oakland. "[Pitching coach] Curt Young was there [on Thursday]," Geren said. "He said he looked good. He liked what he saw." With Duchscherer looking good and Braden's ankle improving, the A's could shift to the six-man rotation Geren has been mulling over since mid-July. "We have four [starters] right now," Geren said. "When we have six ready, I'll consider it. ... After Sept. 1, that could be likely." Pitching matchupOAK: LHP Gio Gonzalez (4-2, 5.57 ERA)
The rookie was impressive in his last start, allowing seven hits and registering five strikeouts over six innings of shutout baseball. Gonzalez is 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA in his past three starts. He's held opponents to a .189 average over that span, but hasn't faced the White Sox this season. CWS: RHP Gavin Floyd (9-7, 4.06 ERA)
Floyd wasn't as sharp in his last outing as he was in the one prior, allowing five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 6-4 loss to the Mariners. Things didn't start off too bad for Floyd, as he retired the first 10 batters he faced. But two runs in the fourth inning and a run in the fifth ran his pitch count up before the big blow came in the sixth inning -- a two-out, game-tying home run on an 0-2 pitch. Floyd has faced Oakland once this season, going seven innings in a 6-2 win. He allowed two runs on just four hits. Tidbits
Following the Raiders' preseason opener on Thursday night, the playing surface at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum looks like, well, a football field. The yard markers are still very much visible and the outfield grass is showing the effects as well. "[The outfield] gets a bit faster once the Raiders start playing here," Geren said. "We'll make some adjustments with our angles." ... How did Geren spend his first day off after an Oakland-record 28-day stretch without a day off? Getting an emergency root canal. "I feel better now," he said. "I haven't felt this good in a week." ... Geren said he'll wear a pinstripe suit in Connie Mack's honor when the A's celebrate the 1929 World Series champion Philadelphia A's team on Turn-Back-the-Clock Day on Sunday. ... Daric Barton (strained left hamstring) made his first rehab start in Arizona on Thursday. No timetable has been set for his return. Tickets
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• Sunday: Athletics (Trevor Cahill, 6-12, 5.06) vs. White Sox (John Danks, 10-8, 4.04), 1:05 p.m. PT
• Monday: Athletics (Vin Mazzaro, 4-8, 5.54) vs. Yankees (A.J. Burnett, 10-5, 3.71), 7:05 p.m. PT
• Tuesday: Athletics (TBD) vs. Yankees (TBD), 7:05 p.m. PT
Adam Loberstein is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
