Back in 2014, the Athletics exchanged Jemile Weeks and David Freitas with the Baltimore Orioles for relief pitcher Jim Johnson, who ultimately suffered the defeat on Opening Day. Additionally, he received a salary of $10 million that year, which constituted a substantial deal according to the Oakland Athletics' norms back then.
Johnson subsequently recorded a 7.14 ERA with the A's for that season and was let go in August.
Similar to Johnson, José Leclerc joined the Athletics' bullpen during the off-season and is receiving a salary of $10 million. Despite suffering a defeat on Opening Day and maintaining an ERA of 6.00 for the season, he was anticipated to serve as a seasoned setup pitcher for Oakland’s youthful squad. It should be noted that the team did not acquire him through a trade, nor does he hold the position of closer.
Earlier this week, Leclerc struck out Adolis Garcia on three pitches before being taken out of the game due to a strained right lat muscle. Following tests the next day, Leclerc does not have an estimated comeback date, as stated by Athletics' manager Mark Kotsay. This situation indicates potential issues.
Kotsay additionally noted that the A's plan to seek a second opinion on Leclerc's injury next week when they travel to Texas to play against the Rangers. The right-handed pitcher has "previously worked with one of the physicians based there." Kotsay stated that Leclerc is currently sidelined until further notice.
When managers talk, saying there isn’t a schedule set for an individual just means they haven’t figured out all the details yet rather than ruling them out completely. At present, they’re holding off until additional input comes through so they can establish a plan for getting the player healthy again. Currently, what’s pending is another medical perspective.
On the contrary, second opinions generally do not bode well, as they indicate that the initial feedback was unfavorable.
In this particular situation, their decision to wait an entire week before getting him examined by the trusted physician isn’t encouraging. Should there have been a short recovery time identified, he’d likely have visited the doctor sooner. This suggests that his leave might extend over a long duration, making the additional week inconsequential.
Certainly, these ideas stem purely from contextual hints, and at present, there’s no evidence suggesting Leclerc will miss the entire season or perhaps several months due to his current situation. However, with the limited details provided so far, it appears likely that additional information may emerge, indicating a potential delay in his return that stretches over weeks—or possibly extending into months.
The article was initially posted on www.si.com/mlb/athletics as Opinion: The Athletics Might Not Have José Leclerc Returning Soon .
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