Why Daniel Mengden is well-equipped to replace A.J. Puk in A's rotation

Share

Daniel Mengden was thrust into the A’s starting rotation less than a week before Opening Day. A.J. Puk will go on the injured list with another shoulder flare-up and Mengden will take his scheduled start on July 28 against the Colorado Rockies and then every fifth day thereafter for the foreseeable future.

The sudden role change added zero stress. Why? It didn’t alter Mengden's routine one bit.

“We usually take the stance that I am a starter no matter what in spring training and building things up from there,” Mengden said in a Tuesday video conference. “That’s what we did this time, too. [Pitching coach Scott Emerson] said, ‘You’re a starter.’ We were going to get ready like one and go from there. I was stretched out to be a fill-in guy or a long [reliever]. I was on the regimen I would normally be on, so I’m just going to continue on with that.”

Mengden originally was scheduled to be a long reliever and swingman, a vital role during a 60-game season where starters won’t be fully ramped up by Opening Day.

Mengden was accepting of that role but made no secret of the fact that he wants to start. That’s his ideal career path, and he has a golden opportunity to prove he’s worthy of distinction in the starting five.

“Being a starter for this team means a lot. I know the weight it carries,” Mengden said. “We have depth all the way around, so we play the next-man-up thing. It sucks to lose A.J. He was dealing with stuff in spring training and is dealing with shoulder issues again. I’m hoping for a speedy recovery and I’m hoping he can help us out, but it’s never good to see a guy go down.”

Injury has kept Puk out of the rotation. A positive coronavirus test has held Jesus Luzardo back, putting him in a relief role until he stretches out.

Mengden already has solid stamina. He missed A’s spring training with an elbow injury that got a chance to get right during baseball’s shutdown over the coronavirus pandemic. He was pitching two bullpens a week right before MLB returned, so he came to training camp ahead of most other pitchers. He has worked up to 70 pitches, with one more camp outing to go before his scheduled start.

[RELATED: A's need vintage Manaea more than ever early in season]

He has started 47 of his 56 games with the A’s but has filled several different roles over that span. They’ve all helped him get ready for a funky season where he could be a rotation fixture or move around quite a bit.

“Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the awkward role of the opener. I have been the long guy with a spot start here and there,” Mengden said. “I’ve done a bit of everything, and there was a learning curve adjusting the arm, body and mind all the way around. Now that I have experience doing the awkward, in-between stuff, I feel prepared for anything. If I’m a starter for the first month and then we go different ways and I’m in the bullpen, that’s part of the game. I’m here for the team and I’m here to help us win a championship whether I’m starting, in the bullpen or bringing everybody water. Whatever it takes to help us win.”

Contact Us