Daulton Jefferies

Athletics Outright Daulton Jefferies

By Steve Adams | November 14, 2022 at 1:29pm CDT

The Athletics announced Monday that right-hander Daulton Jefferies has been outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas. That indicates that Jefferies, who underwent Tommy John surgery in September and thoracic outlet surgery in June, had already been passed through waivers unclaimed.

Jefferies, 27, was the No. 37 overall draft pick out of Cal Berkeley back in 2016. He ranked among the organization’s top prospects throughout the entirety of his minor league tenure, making his Major League debut with a pair of innings during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and also logging 15 solid innings during the 2021 campaign. Jefferies ranked as high as the Athletics’ No. 3 prospect in 2021, per Baseball America, whose scouting report on the righty lauded his plus changeup and plus command.

The 2022 season looked to be a major opportunity for Jefferies to establish himself in Oakland. The A’s shipped out veteran starters Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt as part of last offseason’s fire sale, and while Frankie Montas remained on the roster to begin the season, the widespread expectation that he’d eventually be traded as well indeed came to pass. Jefferies was among several younger options the A’s were hoping to evaluate as potential long-term fits on the starting staff, but injuries intervened.

Jefferies made just eight starts in 2022, yielding an ugly 5.72 ERA in 39 1/3 innings. This year’s 92.8 mph average fastball velocity was down a full two miles per hour from his 2020 debut, and by the end of May, he’d been diagnosed with symptoms suggesting thoracic outlet syndrome.

The combination of TOS and Tommy John surgery is a brutal one for any pitcher but is particularly ominous when the two operations are performed in such rapid succession. Matt Harvey is perhaps the most prominent recent example of a pitcher to undergo both operations, and while he resurfaced to produce some seasons as an innings eater, he quite obviously never returned to the peak form he showed early in his career. Every pitcher’s recovery is different, of course, and Jefferies could yet enjoy a recovery and carve out a nice career for himself. A return the mound will have to wait until the 2024 season at the earliest, however, which left little doubt that the A’s would eventually pass the righty through waivers.

Jefferies will spend the entire 2023 season rehabbing from the pair of surgeries, which means by the time the 2024 season rolls around, he’ll have had roughly 19 months to rehabilitate from the two operations. He’ll face an uphill climb to get back into consideration for a spot on the big league pitching staff, but the current rebuild in Oakland suggests that the A’s might still have plenty of open spots and opportunities for Jefferies even a couple years into the process.

Daulton Jefferies Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

By Mark Polishuk | September 11, 2022 at 3:55pm CDT

Athletics right-hander Daulton Jefferies underwent a Tommy John surgery on Friday, the team announced. Jefferies had already undergone a season-ending thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in July, and now this TJ procedure will surely keep him out of action until the start of the 2024 season.

It is a brutal turn of events for the 27-year-old right-hander, who now faces dual rehabs and a lot of uncertainty about his future. This is also the second Tommy John procedure of Jefferies’ young career, as his first surgery wiped out most of his 2017 and 2018 seasons in Oakland’s farm system. Given this checkered health history, it is fair to wonder if Jefferies will be able to return to the mound whatsoever, let alone return and become an effective Major League pitcher.

The 37th overall pick of the 2016 draft, Jefferies was seen as one of the Athletics’ top pitching prospects on his way up the minor league ladder, and he has appeared in each of the last three MLB seasons. After tossing two innings in 2020, Jefferies threw 15 frames in 2021 and then 39 1/3 innings this year, with a 5.75 ERA to show for his career to date in the Show.

The A’s were hoping Jefferies could step into a regular role in the starting rotation this year, and things seemed promising early, when the righty had a 1.17 ERA over his first three starts and 15 1/3 innings. However, batters then began to find a lot more success against Jefferies, whose 16.3% strikeout rate didn’t help his cause. While Jefferies has some respectable strikeout totals in the minors, he hasn’t been able to miss many bats at the big league level.

Jefferies will continue to amass big league service time while on the injured list, and while he is controlled through the 2027 season, that long-term view isn’t as important to the A’s as the more immediate need to just get Jefferies healthy. With another rebuild taking place in Oakland, the Athletics were hoping that Jefferies could step forth as a potential cornerstone for the next winning A’s club.

Daulton Jefferies To Undergo Thoracic Outlet Surgery

By Sean Bavazzano | June 8, 2022 at 9:19pm CDT

After receiving a second opinion, A’s right-hander Daulton Jefferies is scheduled to undergo thoracic outlet surgery on Monday per Matt Kawahara of The San Francisco Chronicle. Oakland will share more details about Jefferies’ recovery timetable after the surgery is completed.

The surgery decision comes as little surprise after the 26-year-old Jefferies was placed on the 15-day IL a few weeks ago. A subsequent move to the 60-day IL largely dashed any chance that the right-handed pitcher would return to the hill in short order.

For the time being, the A’s appear set to roll with a rotation headed by Frankie Montas, Cole Irvin, and Paul Blackburn who are all off to strong starts this season. James Kaprielian and Jared Koenig, who was called up this past Sunday, present a pair of interesting options to hold down the fort at the back of the rotation.

While that group will hardly stand in the way of Jefferies receiving future looks in the rotation— he has first-round pedigree and strong peripherals working in his favor— the last place A’s have no urgency to rush him back. More pressing for the organization is the recovery of a player under five additional years of team control.

As has been discussed ad nauseam when it comes to any major procedure like TOS surgery, nothing is guaranteed in terms of pitching success upon recovery. D-backs starter Merrill Kelly and Chris Archer of the Twins are both years removed from the procedure and having modest success out of the rotation this year. Past pitchers haven’t always rebounded as decently however, as former Padres starter Tyson Ross, for example, saw a promising career derailed by the procedure. More recently, Nationals reliever Will Harris underwent the procedure in May of 2021 but has yet to return this season.

Athletics Make Several Roster Moves

By Mark Polishuk | May 29, 2022 at 12:51pm CDT

The A’s selected the contracts of left-hander Sam Selman and right-hander Parker Markel from Triple-A today. Right-hander Daulton Jefferies and outfielder Skye Bolt were each moved to the 60-day injured list to create space on the 40-man roster. Oakland also called up right-hander Domingo Tapia, while right-hander Jacob Lemoine and southpaws Adam Kolarek and Zach Logue were all optioned to Triple-A to make way for Selman, Markel, and Tapia on the active roster.

Markel signed a minor league deal with the Athletics in March, and the 31-year-old righty is now on pace to make his first MLB appearance since 2019. All 22 of Markel’s career Major League innings came in that season, with Markel taking the hill for the Mariners and Pirates and posting a 7.77 ERA.

A veteran of 11 pro seasons, Markel has long been plagued by control problems, though his last four seasons have seen him deliver big strikeout totals in the minors and in independent ball. Continuing that trend at Triple-A Las Vegas, Markel has a 35.4% strikeout rate but also a 12.7% walk rate. The free passes haven’t hurt Markel too badly, however, as he has a 1.89 ERA over 19 relief innings for the Aviators.

Tapia is also lined up for his 2022 debut, after Oakland claimed him off waivers from the Royals at the end of April. The grounder specialist has appeared in each of the last two Major League seasons, posting a 2.61 ERA over 38 innings with the Red Sox, Mariners, and Royals.

This is the second time Selman’s contract has been selected by the A’s this season, as the team previously designated the southpaw for assignment in April and then outrighted him to Triple-A. Selman’s tenure with the Athletics consists of a single big league game and 2 2/3 scoreless innings back on April 22.

Since Jefferies was recently diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, it wasn’t surprising to see him moved to the 60-day IL for what could be a season-ending absence if Jefferies opts for surgery. For Bolt, his 60-day placement was attributed to a left hamstring strain, rather than the right oblique strain that initially put him on the 10-day IL in the first week of the season. Bolt played in three rehab games before being shut down with this new injury, though it isn’t clear how much more time he’ll miss, since the 60-day period still starts at the time of Bolt’s first IL placement on April 10.

Daulton Jefferies Diagnosed With Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

By Steve Adams | May 20, 2022 at 7:31pm CDT

The A’s placed right-hander Daulton Jefferies on the injured list earlier today amid a series of roster moves, also optioning lefty Kirby Snead and recalling righty Jake Lemoine and left-hander Zach Logue. The A’s originally stated that Jefferies had some nerve irritation in his right arm, but manager Mark Kotsay now gives reporters a much more ominous update, revealing that the 26-year-old righty has been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome (Twitter link via Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). He’s receiving a second opinion.

While not as common as Tommy John surgery, thoracic outlet syndrome often requires surgical repair — an operation that involves removing a portion of the player’s rib in order to alleviate nerve pressure. The success rate for pitchers returning from TOS hasn’t been as strong as those returning from the more common Tommy John surgery, though there are plenty of examples of hurlers who’ve returned to have successful careers. Arizona’s Merrill Kelly, for instance, had thoracic outlet surgery in September 2020 and was back on the mound for a slate of 27 starts in 2021. He’s made another eight starts of 3.27 ERA ball this season.

It’s yet to be seen whether Jefferies will undergo surgery, which would likely end his season. That’ll surely hinge on what he and the A’s hear in his forthcoming second opinion. Even in the event of a non-surgical route, an absence of some note seems safe to expect.

Selected by the A’s with the No. 37 overall pick back in 2016, Jefferies entered the year with just 17 big league innings under his belt. However, the Athletics’ offseason fire sale shipped both Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea to other clubs, opening the door for Jefferies to win a long-term spot on the starting staff. Jefferies posted a 1.17 ERA through three starts but has been rocked for 23 runs over 24 innings in his past five turns. Overall, he carries a 5.72 ERA with a 16.3% strikeout rate, a 4.7% walk rate and a 46.6% grounder rate. Metrics like fielding independent pitching (3.76) and SIERA (4.15) feel he’s been a good bit better than his ERA would indicate.

The A’s still control Jefferies for five seasons beyond the current campaign, so even if he doesn’t factor into the mix again this season, he should have ample opportunity down the road. For the time being, with Jefferies sidelined, Oakland will look to Frankie Montas, James Kaprielian, Paul Blackburn and a returning Cole Irvin, who’s slated to come off the injured list and start a game this weekend. Logue, recalled today, will probably step directly into the rotation. One of four players acquired in the trade that sent Matt Chapman to Toronto, he’s already made four appearances (three starts) and pitched to a 2.04 ERA with an 18.9% strikeout rate against a 6.8% walk rate in 17 2/3 frames.

Should the A’s need another starter in the near future, they have a pair of other newly acquired options to evaluate. Right-hander Adrian Martinez, acquired from the Padres in the Manaea trade, made his big league debut in a doubleheader against the Tigers last week and tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings with three strikeouts and no walks. Fellow right-hander and trade acquisition Adam Oller, who came over from the Mets as part of the return for Bassitt, could be an option as well. He’s already made four big league starts with the A’s, though he’s been tagged for 20 runs in 14 2/3 frames.

A’s Place Daulton Jefferies On 10-Day Injured List, Return James Kaprielian To Rotation

By TC Zencka | September 18, 2021 at 5:27pm CDT

The A’s placed righty Daulton Jefferies on the 10-day injured list with right elbow ulnar neuritis and recalled southpaw Sam Moll to claim his roster spot, per the team. Jefferies was supposed to start today, but the injury unfortunately delays his joining the rotation.

James Kaprielian, who was demoted to the bullpen in favor of Jefferies, will now step back into the rotation for his regular turn on the bump. Kaprielian will presumably need to turn around his performance quickly in order to make the most out of this second chance. The Athletics hopes that Chris Bassitt will be back in the rotation shortly, which could again send Kaprielian to the pen.

Kaprielian’s overall numbers this season are decent: he’s posted 1.3 rWAR/1.0 fWAR over 20 starts totaling 105 1/3 innings. Those numbers with his 4.02 ERA/4.46 FIP make for a serviceable rotation arm, if not one guaranteed innings on a first division squad. Over his past eight stars, however, he’s been tagged for a 6.51 ERA/5.01 FIP, prompting the move to the bullpen.

As for Moll, he returns for his third stint in the Majors this season. The 29-year-old Tennessee native has made just four appearances over his first couple of turns upstairs, though he’s done well in the short sample, keeping opponents scoreless over 4 2/3 innings.

A’s Place Seth Brown On COVID-Related Injured List, Recall Daulton Jefferies

By TC Zencka | August 28, 2021 at 8:40am CDT

The Athletics placed Seth Brown on the injured list after a positive COVID-19 test, per Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). Daulton Jefferies was recalled from the taxi squad to claim his roster spot.

Brown has been part of the fix in right field after the club lost Ramon Laureano and Stephen Piscotty to a suspension and wrist surgery, respectively. Brown’s walk rate is a little low (8.2 percent) and his strikeout rate is a little high (29.2 percent), but he brings power to the position with a .254 ISO. With 254 plate appearances, the 29-year-old has not been an insubstantial contributor for these A’s, despite just a .219 BABIP that, along with the metrics above, paint Brown as a boom-or-bust type of role player.

Of course, the greater part of the story for Brown is that he’s been strictly a platoon player, with 233 plate appearances coming against right-handers. For that kind of limited usage player, you’d like to see even stronger splits, however, as Brown’s 100 wRC+ against righties suggests he’s holding the line as an average bat — but not much more than that.

Without him (and maybe even when he returns), the A’s piece together their final outfielder with infielders Tony Kemp, Josh Harrison, and Chad Pinder, depending on match-ups. Mark Canha also plays a role in Frankenstein-ing this roster spot, as he slides from left to right field depending on who else is in the lineup. The A’s seem more comfortable with Pinder in right, while Kemp and Harrison have taken their turns in left.

As for Jefferies, he’s most likely just an insurance arm in this short interval without Brown. The 26-year-old has served as a starter in all 16 of his outings this year, of which only one took place in the bigs. His arm should be fresh, however, as he hasn’t started a game since August 20th in Triple-A.

A’s Reinstate James Kaprielian, Option Daulton Jefferies

By Darragh McDonald | August 8, 2021 at 12:30pm CDT

The A’s have activated James Kaprielian from the IL and optioned Daulton Jefferies to Triple-A, per a team announcement. This reverses the roster move from 10 days ago, where Kaprielian was placed on the IL with a shoulder impingement and Jefferies being recalled to take his place. At the time, it was hoped that the shoulder issue was a minor one and wouldn’t require a long absence, a hope that has indeed come to fruition.

The return of Kaprielian strengthens Oakland’s rotation as they try to hold onto the American League’s last playoff spot. Going into Sunday’s action, they are just 1 1/2 games ahead of the surging Yankees. The 27-year-old has forced his way into the rotation with an excellent season thus far, throwing 72 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.24, strikeout rate of 26.5% and walk rate of 9.1%.

As for Jefferies, he only got a single emergency start, going five innings, allowing three earned runs off three hits, three walks and three strikeouts. He’ll now return to Triple-A, where he has a 5.19 ERA over 59 innings this year.

Pitcher Notes: Dodgers, Gray, E-Rod, Yankees, Fiers

By Connor Byrne and Anthony Franco | March 27, 2021 at 2:53pm CDT

The Dodgers are still deciding among fifth starter options, manager Dave Roberts informed Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times and other reporters Friday. Southpaw David Price is competing against righties Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin, who impressed as rookies during the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series-winning campaign. As a five-time All-Star and a former AL Cy Young winner, Price certainly carries the best track record of the three – not to mention the highest salary – but he didn’t pitch at all last season after opting out over COVID-19 concerns. Any of those three would join Trevor Bauer, Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urías in what will be a loaded season-opening starting five.

The latest on a few more pitchers around the game:

Reds righty Sonny Gray, who has been dealing with a back problem for a couple of weeks, came out of a sim game unscathed Friday, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. After throwing two innings and 30 pitches, Gray said, “I felt good. It was definitely a step in the right direction.” Gray will start the season on the injured list, but he doesn’t expect to miss much time. That’s uplifting news for a Reds starting staff that lost the aforementioned Bauer during the offseason.
Eduardo Rodríguez was recently set back by a dead arm but seemed to make some progress this morning. The Red Sox left-hander came out of a bullpen session feeling good about his chances of soon returning to game action, although a season-opening injured list stint remains a possibility (via Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com and Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe). Manager Alex Cora says the club will evaluate how Rodríguez feels tomorrow before making any decisions about his recovery timeline.
The Yankees have optioned right-hander Deivi García to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to a team announcement. The move suggests Domingo Germán will enter the season as the No. 5 in the Yankees’ rotation behind Gerrit Cole, Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon and Jordan Montgomery, though odds are that García will make his share of starts this season. The 21-year-old, a former top 100 prospect, made his debut last season with a 4.98 ERA/4.21 SIERA with a 22.6 percent strikeout rate against a stingy 4.1 percent walk rate in 34 1/3 innings.
Athletics righty Mike Fiers will begin the season on the injured list, manager Bob Melvin announced to Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle and other reporters. Fiers has been dealing with left hip inflammation since midway through the month and hasn’t faced live hitters during his recovery. His injury could open the door for any of Daulton Jefferies, Cole Irvin or A.J. Puk to at least temporarily join the A’s rotation. Fiers tied for the A’s lead in starts (11) and finished second in innings (59) last season, but he struggled to a 4.58 ERA/5.41 SIERA and managed a personal-worst 14.4 percent K rate.

AL West Notes: Mariners, Fiers, Adell, Whitley, Astros

By Mark Polishuk | March 15, 2021 at 12:22pm CDT

The December 2018 trade that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets was a transformational moment in Mariners history, as it allowed Seattle to both escape a major salary commitment to Cano and also re-stock its farm system with some prime minor league talent in Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn. Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto recently discussed the trade with The Athletic’s Corey Brock, looking back at how talks with the Mets developed, and how concurrent discussions with the Phillies about a Diaz trade helped make the Mets even more aggressive about swinging a deal to one-up their NL East rival.

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