WEST SACRAMENTO -- Another tough outing for Athletics starter Aaron Civale was followed by bad news: Civale is expected to be placed on the injured list, according to manager Mark Kotsay.
The right-hander lasted just four innings in Monday’s 9-2 loss to the Mariners at Sutter Health Park, giving up seven runs on nine hits and one walk and throwing 73 pitches. After the game, Kotsay said Civale will undergo testing Tuesday morning and will “most likely” wind up on the IL.
Neither Kotsay nor Civale was able to pinpoint the issue, but the injury appears related to either the pitcher’s right shoulder or lat.
Civale said he first noticed something was amiss during his previous outing against the Angels last Wednesday in Anaheim.
“It’s something I’ve been working through for a little bit, so I’m just trying to get a clearer idea of what’s going on and get a game plan going forward,” Civale said.
He took a 2.70 ERA into his start at Angel Stadium but allowed five runs in five innings, with his fastball velocity down more than 1 mph. That velo dip was far more noticeable on Monday in West Sacramento: Civale averaged just 88.3 mph on his four-seam fastball, 3 mph below his season average, and 88.0 mph on his sinker, 3.2 mph below his average.
It was his lowest combined four-seam/sinker velocity in any game of his career.
“The intensity, I just haven’t been able to get that,” Civale said.
The lack of zip on his pitches cost him, as Civale allowed a home run on each of his three fastball types -- a cutter to Luke Raley, a four-seamer to Dominic Canzone and a sinker to J.P. Crawford. Those first two dingers, both two-run shots, came in a six-run third for the Mariners.
Despite dealing with the issue for more than a week, the veteran right-hander said he hasn’t felt much pain -- “just something’s off.” It’s hard to say what: Civale said he has never experienced a similar injury in the past.
The right-hander’s last IL stint came in 2025 with the Brewers, when he missed nearly two months with a left hamstring strain. Civale signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the A’s just before the start of Spring Training and had been a reliable back-of-the-rotation arm for the club.