Oakland Athletics: Will Starter Jesse Hahn Be Healthy By Opening Day?
Oakland Athletics’ starting pitcher Jesse Hahn may not be one hundred percent healthy yet
Before the Oakland Athletics’ pitchers and catchers even reported for spring training this year, it was reported that starter Jesse Hahn would be healthy for the start of spring camp. After being shut down for the second half of the 2015 season due to a forearm strain, this news was good. However, now that spring training has begun, there is some question as to how healed Hahn’s forearm and elbow might actually be.
Unfortunately, Hahn does tend to be injury prone. Additionally, he has already undergone Tommy John Surgery (TJS) despite only being 26 years old. So, it is not surprising that the A’s are being cautious with Hahn this spring – especially after seeing fellow Oakland starter Jarrod Parker undergo two Tommy John surgeries and endure an elbow fracture.
Oakland has been careful not to overwork Hahn at spring camp so far. As reported by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Hahn is on the same bullpen throwing schedule as Parker with one day on and two days off. It was also reported by John Hickey of the San Jose Mercury News that Hahn is going to cut out the slider from his pitching repertoire. It is believed that Hahn’s slider is the main culprit behind his elbow and forearm issues. He will now only throw a fastball, changeup and curve.
In all reality, these two particular points – his limited throwing time and the elimination of his slider – are relatively normal actions for a pitcher to take if he has a high chance of incurring an elbow injury. Interestingly enough, MLBTradeRumors.com rated Hahn as the third-most likely pitcher to have to undergo Tommy John Surgery this season. If this happened, it would Hahn’s second TJS.
However, the evidence continues to grow and point toward the fact that Hahn may not be performing at the same level as he was in 2015. General Manager David Forst joined The Afternoon Delight on 95.7 The Game on Tuesday and talked about the starting rotation. Not surprisingly, Forst named Sonny Gray and Rich Hill as the No. 1 and 2 starters for the Oakland Athletics in 2016. Then Forst noted that Kendall Graveman and Chris Bassitt are likely to fill the No. 3 and 4 spots.
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When it came to the No. 5 position, it seemed as though this spot was up for grabs. To quote Forst, the A’s have “a lot of options for the fifth spot”. Forst noted that Hahn and Parker would have a chance to earn this role in the rotation, but Aaron Brooks and Felix Doubront would also be considered. Additionally, Forst told Greg Papa and John Lund that Hahn and Parker are “both coming off injuries. It would be great to have those guys healthy.”
Forst makes it sound as though Hahn is not healthy enough right now to be a starting pitcher. Or, perhaps now that Hahn has ditched his slider, he is a less effective starter than he had been in the past. Either way, it seems as though there is the possibility — even if it’s just a very small chance — that Hahn may not be a part of the A’s rotation on Opening Day.
Prior to spring training, it was expected that Hahn would be the No. 3 starting pitcher in the rotation. Whether he is currently still dealing with an injury or he is lacking effectiveness due to his prior injury, Hahn seems to have been bumped from the middle to the backend of the rotation. As spring camp continues, it will be interesting to see if Hahn sticks to the same pitching schedule as Parker, who is not expected to be ready for Opening Day, or if Hahn will ramp up his bullpen sessions at a faster rate throughout March in order to be ready for the first game of the regular season.