WEST SACRAMENTO -- The good vibes generated by an early lead for the Athletics on Thursday afternoon dissipated in a hurry.
Shortly after the A’s pushed across four runs in the second inning, highlighted by Nick Kurtz’s scorching two-run double, starter Jeffrey Springs completed a scoreless third inning of a 6-3 victory over the Royals and exited the game at just 67 pitches, accompanied by trainer Jeff Collins as he walked back to the A’s clubhouse. The club later announced that Springs’ early departure was due to right hip soreness.
Springs has played a big role in the A’s early-season success, which saw them enter the day in first place in the American League West. The left-hander carried a 3.79 ERA into Thursday’s series finale and began the year 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA in his first four starts before hitting a bit of a rough patch over his previous two outings.
Following the game, both Springs and manager Mark Kotsay sounded optimistic that he could make his next start, scheduled to come during next week’s series against the Phillies, which begins Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park.
“It was more precautionary,” Kotsay said. “He probably wanted to go back out [for the fourth]. I made the decision for him that he was done at that point. … As of now, I don’t see any reason for him to miss a start.”
“Talking with Kotsay and the trainers, it was probably the smart move,” Springs said. “I wasn’t moving very well. I was kind of fighting the front side, and it just got a little bit worse throughout. … Hopefully, it’ll go away in a couple of days and I’ll be ready to go.”
Springs was picked up by the A’s bullpen, which combined for six innings of one-run ball in relief, including 2 2/3 scoreless innings by Luis Medina, who picked up his first Major League win since 2024.
“Unbelievable job,” Springs said. “Medina covered the bulk there. I’ve been saying it, [our relievers] are super capable in any situation. I made them work a lot harder than they should have, but it’s a credit to them. … Super grateful that they were able to pick me up today.”