September 7, 2010; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Dallas Braden (51) pitches against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Seattle defeated Oakland 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the A’s injury woes will continue. A’s left-handed pitcher Dallas “Stay off my Mound” Braden has sustained a strained shoulder. The A’s were expecting Braden, who was recovering from surgery this offseason, back in the starting rotation at some point during May, but this latest setback will cost Braden some time on the disabled-list.

The report on the SFGate.com also notes that Braden’s throwing program was shut down and that a May return seems unlikely now. Assistant general manager David Forst announced that the team will not know the severity of the injury until after team doctors evaluate Braden’s condition. Still, for a team that is without a set starting rotation, losing Braden for any extent of time is not an ideal situation to be in.

As of now, the A’s will likely roll out with a rotation that includes Brandon McCarthy, Bartolo Colon, Tom Milone, Tyson Ross, and Graham Godfrey. The rotation will definitely look a lot different this year and will likely experience a few learning curves over the course of the season. Guys like Milone, who won the No.3 spot in the rotation after a fabulous spring, will need some time to adjust to life in the major leagues.

In another injury related story, the A’s have announced that Manny Ramirez, who was brought in on a one-year deal worth about $500K, won’t be playing in any more spring games for at least until the start of extended spring training (starts April 9). He’ll miss, then, the bay bridge series against the San Francisco Giants. A strained hamstring is listed as the primary reason for Ramirez’s recent shutdown.

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Will the A's keep Ellis beyond this season?

The Oakland Athletics are a young team, and Billy Beane is always looking for ways to make his roster younger. Oakland’s infield, as pointed out by a recent post by MLBTraderumors.com, the A’s will have a few older players eligible for free agency after this season.

Whether or not the A’s decide to bring back some of their aging players is entirely up to the A’s front office.

One player who is eligible for free agency after this season is 2B Mark Ellis. At 33, Ellis is one of Oakland’s oldest players and he’s beginning to show his age. In 36 games this season (124 at-bats), Ellis is batting .185/.215/.266 with six RBIs.

The A’s have valued Ellis’ veteran leadership and incredible defensive abilities, but Oakland is in need for more offensive punch. At this stage in his career, Ellis is nearing the end of his tenure with Oakland. (more…)

He did not pitch in the big leagues last year, and his last big league season was in 2009 when he was still a member of the Texas Rangers. He went 7-4 with a 4.62 ERA that year.

Injuries have limited McCarthy in the past, but after an encouraging spring training, the A’s decided to have him join a young, talented rotation.

He’s certainly fitting in nicely, as the 27 year-old has remained healthy and effective in the rotation. Entering Friday, McCarthy boasts an exceptional 20:3 K:BB ratio through 30 innings of work. He’s one of reasons why the Athletics lead the majors in ERA (2.52).

It’s still very early in the season, but that $1 million investment the A’s made this winter is certainly paying off.