The Oakland Athletics are officially dealing with their first significant injury of the 2011 MLB season. Earlier Monday the A’s placed starting pitcher Dallas Braden on the 15-day disabled list due to stiffness in his left shoulder. Braden left Saturday’s game against the Tigers after five innings of one run ball. He visited with the A’s orthopedist on Sunday but there is no word yet on the severity of the injury. All we know is that Braden indicated it’s like nothing he’s felt before.
On the same day as this DL move, the A’s worked out a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays that sent Danny Farquhar to Toronto in exchange for David Purcey. It would not seem to be a coincidence that this move happened the day Braden was DL’d as Purcey has taken Braden’s place on the 25-man roster. To make room for Purcey on the 40-man roster, the A’s transferred Rich Harden to the 60-day disabled list with his lat injury.
At this point, the fifth starter job will likely fall to either Tyson Ross or Bobby Cramer. The A’s upcoming schedule would allow them to skip their fifth starter this week, but they would need to have a fifth starter later next week. There has been no official word as to who will fill in for Braden.