9:31 pm: The club has announced that Fiers was pulled with “right arm nerve irritation”. As Slusser points out, that descriptor can foreshadow a wide range of possible outcomes and recovery timetables; Brett Anderson was sidelined briefly last year with left arm irritation, while Andrew Triggs required surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome (link).
8:52 pm: Athletics starter Mike Fiers set Twitter ablaze twice on Saturday. Initially, it was the veteran’s flamboyant, swirl-shaped facial hair that drew attention; however, by the second inning of tonight’s game with the Rangers, eyes were on Fiers for far more troublesome reasons, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle points out (link). After issuing a balk placed Danny Santana at second base, Fiers was visited on the mound by manager Bob Melvin and a trainer; Fiers rubbed his arm several times during the mound visit. Melvin left the righty in the game, but Fiers proceeded to serve up a home run and a walk while throwing his fastball 3-5 mph below normal velocity. Melvin then pulled Fiers from the game.
Oakland fans will hope that this is just a case of late-season dead arm for the 34-year-old Fiers. Their staff, of course, has already been something of a carousel in 2019, while Fiers has been a source of consistency.
Fiers entered Saturday with a 14-4 record buttressed and 3.97 ERA in 30 starts–numbers recorded in the first season of a two-year, $14.1MM deal signed with Oakland this past offseason. 2019’s version of Fiers certainly hasn’t been an overpowering one, as he’s logged just a 6.14 K/9 rate in 170.0 innings this year, but he’s managed free passes (2.65 BB/9) and, as he did last year, far outpitched his fielding-independent estimators (5.11 FIP). Oakland has recently been using a six-man rotation frontlined by the impressive return of starter Sean Manaea.
What a shame. I wanted to see him pitch longer with that amazing (cinnamon roll? g? C?) beard. I’m also disappointed because, if he’s out, I don’t want to think about who else would startcthe WC game. Maybe Manaea?
My guess would be Manaea or Roark
Now we know who’s roster spot and rotation spot Jesus Luzardo is going to occupy…
Luzardo should close. Jesus Saves.
Luzardo is already on the roster, Nostradamus.
not the for the playoffs, nice try though
an injury exception would be created by Fiers being placed on IL.
Well sure as there is no playoff roster yet as the playoffs haven’t started..
no there isn’t, but there are specific players who are ineligible for the playoff roster unless there is an injury to a current member of the 40 man roster who is eligible for said playoffs…
I heard he initially hurt himself shaving!
The hair!
Beard weight on just once side threw off his mechanics.
Nah his monkey tail beard is the GOAT
I have always thought that Fiers was an underrated pitcher who gives innings and reasonably good ones.He is the type of pitcher that the Pirates should have signed.His salary is only $7M per year which is very reasonable for a decent #3 or a solid #4.
“Fiers entered Saturday with a 14-4 record buttressed and 3.97 ERA in 30 starts”
This doesn’t look right.
He is 14-4 with a FIP of 5.17 and only 6 K/9. He has been very lucky
There’s luck and there’s the fact that he pitches to contact behind an infield of three gold glove candidates and likely platinum glove. That’s not a coincidence.
Came here for the beard comments
Why was he left in? He threw an 83 mph fastball after being 90 all game as a “warm up”
It cannot be stated enough: the A’s are successful strictly from the talented players, but the on-field and off-field management are totally clueless and the team is winning – in spite of – their manager and GM, who keep winning awards for not winning titles. They will never win a title with Melvin as manager and with FO staff as it is.
Luzardo is going to not be on the postseason roster but Piscotty will be. Murphy will get the Barrera spot, but its either Luzardo or Piscotty because the A’s decided to have Luzardo pitch an absolutely meaningless AAA playoff game. Absolutely unacceptably bad management by the FO. They’re winning now, but they need to fire a lot of the non-playing staff as Melvin will routinely get rings ran around him by actually-good managers in the playoffs, like Maddon.
Murphy is taking Gossett’s spot, Barrera’s spot is ineligible because he has not spent 60 IL days on the ML roster…Luzardo might go because of Soria’s bad knee, Piscotty’s not ready, or Fiers’ arm issues are serious…
Without a doubt the worst facial hair I’ve ever seen.
You’re just jealous you can’t grow one