WEST SACRAMENTO -- The hits keep on coming for the Athletics’ starting rotation.
Before Saturday’s game against the Yankees, the A’s placed Luis Severino on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. Right-hander Michael Kelly was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas as a corresponding move.
Severino, who exited Friday’s start against the Yankees after just one inning, became the second A’s starter lost to injury this week. On Tuesday, Aaron Civale landed on the 15-day IL with right shoulder tendinitis.
The full severity of Severino’s injury is still unclear. Manager Mark Kotsay said the right-hander is undergoing further testing to get more of an accurate diagnosis.
“The initial finding is, it’s definitely a shoulder strain,” Kotsay said. “When medical gets the full report back, they’ll release a statement that is more specific to the injury.”
Severino has had an up-and-down start to his 2026 campaign, with a 4.16 ERA through 12 starts. Still, he’s the A’s No. 1 starter and a critical piece of their plan to contend this season, so losing him for any amount of time is a blow.
“It’s tough,” Kotsay said. “It’s not something that we haven’t experienced. Sevy missed a little bit of time last year as well. There’s plenty of adversity going around the game with different clubs. Someone has to step up and fill that role right now. …
“It’s going to take everybody in that clubhouse to help this ballclub win. This is a prime example of that right now.”
One of those young starters they’ll count on to step up is J.T. Ginn, who entered Saturday carrying a 2.89 ERA in nine starts since moving into the rotation on April 10. The rest of the A’s rotation features a trio of left-handers in Gage Jump (A’s No. 3 prospect/MLB No. 40 overall), Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez.
As for the vacancy created by Severino’s absence, there are a few options to fill that spot at Las Vegas. Those include A’s No. 12 prospect Kade Morris, as well as pitchers already on the 40-man roster such as Mason Barnett and Joey Estes. Jack Perkins, currently being utilized as a reliever, is also a candidate to be stretched back out into a starting role.
“At this point, it’s day by day for us,” Kotsay said. “Obviously, we want J.T. to go out tonight and throw a game that he’s capable of throwing to get deep into the game, and then just assess where we’re at from a pitching standpoint. There’s obviously an opening in the rotation, but one that we’ll wait through the off-day [on Monday] to make a determination on how we use that rotation spot. … The focus is on getting these next two games in.”