Jeffrey Springs surrenders two runs to D-backs

Springs’ hip has been a problem since at least April, though this is his first IL stint of the year. It’s not yet clear whether this will be a brief rest to try to get him closer to 100 percent or if he’s being shut down. The left-hander has a 6.17 ERA in 22 starts this year. With Springs going down, both Mason Barnett and Jack Perkins should keep starting for now. One was expected to be removed from the rotation with J.T. Ginn back.

Springs struck out two batters in the ballgame. All of the damage done against him was inflicted by Kevin McGonigle, with a solo homer in the third inning and a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Springs threw just 44 of his 86 pitches for strikes, getting seven whiffs and posting a CSW of 22 percent. He’ll carry an unsightly 6.17 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and an 88/44 K/BB ratio (108 innings) into Thursday’s tilt against the Reds in Cincinnati.

Springs is aiming to make his next start against the Tigers on Friday following an early exit from Sunday’s outing with right hip discomfort. The 33-year-old holds an underwhelming 6.23 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 86/39 K/BB ratio across 104 innings this season. Needless to say, he’s not a recommended fantasy option.

It’s unclear exactly what occurred, but the left-hander was visited by the training staff during the second inning and the decision was ultimately made to remove him from the ballgame. Springs was charged with five runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk in just 1 1/3 innings of work. He’ll head for further evaluation. Expect the A’s to have an update on his status after the game.

Springs struck out four, raising his ERA to 6.08. The lefty has now given up five or more runs in five of his past six starts. He wasn’t great in his first season with the A’s last year, but his performance lately has been much worse. The A’s host the Nationals coming out of the All-Star break. That makes Springs an easy sit for any deep-league managers desperate enough to consider him.

The Dodgers brought two runs in to score against Springs in the first inning on two hits, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. Tommy Edman then got to Springs in the third with a three-run blast. A solo homer by Miguel Rojas in the sixth would bring in a sixth run before Spring departed with one out at 92 pitches. The 33-year-old left-hander ends the day with a 5.79 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and an 80/33 K/BB ratio across 93 1/3 innings.

It was one-run through five, but while facing the top of the lineup for the third time, he allowed a walk and a single with one out in the sixth. He was pulled then and both runners came around to score after he left. It makes one wonder why Mark Kotsay left him in the game in the first place if he didn’t trust him to carry on at 87 pitches, especially since his next batter was a lefty he’d already retired twice in Rafael Devers. Springs wasn’t involved in the decision today, but he has dropped seven in a row after opening the season 3-0. Even with the late runs scoring, this still rates as his best outing in June. He’ll take a 5.52 ERA into his next start against the Dodgers.

Springs continues to struggle, and with the Athletics (somehow) in playoff contention, one has to wonder if his rotation spot could be in jeopardy. He’s now allowed 21 runs over his last four starts, and he’s sporting an ugly 5.35 ERA on the campaign that shows it hasn’t just been the last month. He’ll try and get back on track against the Giants next week in San Francisco, but to say he’s off the fantasy radar right now is quite the understatement.

Springs allowed three of the the six homers the A’s gave up with the artists formerly known as Oakland allowing 23 runs in the contest. It’s another unimpressive outing for the southpaw, and he’s allowed 15 runs over the last three outings while seeing his ERA balloon up to 5.13 and his record fall to 3-7. He’ll try and get on track against the Angels on Friday, but that start will take place in Sacramento as well.

Springs allowed a pair of homers and six other hard-hit balls in an outing that might have been a little better in neutral park, but probably not by overly much. He should fare better against the Rockies on Sunday, but he’s not a mixed-league option at the moment.