Elephant Rumblings: Rotation plan coming into focus
Fujinami is expected to pitch every Saturday to begin the season
Shintaro Fujinami turned in his best outing of the Spring Saturday spinning six hitless innings against the Brewers. Fujinami was still tagged with two runs mostly due to four walks, but the outing was still a significant step forward.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay outlined the plan for Fujinami Saturday and what the rest of Oakland’ rotation might look like to begin the season. Fujinami will start next Saturday and will start once a week on Saturday’s per the San Francisco Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara.
Shintaro Fujinami will start Saturday in the second game of the opening series and the initial plan is for him to start once a week on Saturdays, Mark Kotsay said.
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) March 25, 2023
The A’s will still begin the season with a five-man rotation. Per Kotsay, there are only two games in April that will require a spot-starter or a bullpen day. Kyle Muller will start Opening Day and will then be followed by Fujinami Saturday. Ken Waldichuk and James Kaprielian are set to start the Bay Bridge exhibition games and will be in the rotation. The fifth spot is still undecided. Drew Rucinski is an option depending on how his hamstring responds over the next few days. JP Sears and Adam Oller would be next in line, but Oller was scratched Saturday after experiencing vertigo symptoms.
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