Ben

Bowden

Bowden was designated for assignment on Tuesday, just a couple of days after being called up to the big leagues. The 31-year-old southpaw allowed four runs over one innings in his lone appearance with the A’s. He’ll continue to function as extra bullpen depth at the Triple-A level.

Bowden, called up Saturday, allowed four runs in one inning in his one appearance with the A’s.

Bowden, who had a 4.22 ERA in 11 relief appearances for the A’s last year, will be making his 2026 debut. The 31-year-old had a 5.40 ERA in 32 relief appearances for Las Vegas this season.

None of them were likely to make the MLB team, but Joshua Kuroda-Graurer is the team’s 14th-ranked prospect, according to FanGraphs, and hit .296/.359/.372 with two home runs and 27 steals in 121 games between High-A and Double-A last year.

Bowden was jettisoned from the Athletics’ 40-man roster earlier this month but winds up returning on a new deal after compiling a pedestrian 4.22 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 7/5 K/BB ratio over 10 2/3 innings across 11 relief outings this past season. The 31-year-old southpaw will compete for a spot in the club’s season-opening relief mix during spring training.

Bowden and Maldonado will become free agents. Shuster, who was claimed off waivers from the White Sox in August and went on to finish the season in the minors, doesn’t have that right, so he’ll stay in the organization for now.

Bowden landed on the injured list in late August with a left lat strain. Once it became clear that he wouldn’t be able to return before the end of the season, it was an inevitability that he would be transferred to the 60-day IL to give the A’s additional flexibility with their 40-man roster.

It’s a tough break for the Athletics and for Bowden, who had done a nice job with a 4.22 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and a 7/5 K/BB ratio across his first 10 2/3 innings with the ballclub. No word yet on how long they anticipate him being sidelined for. Eduarniel Nuñez was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to take his spot in the A’s bullpen.

Bowden will have a chance to make his first appearance with the A’s after he signed a minor-league contract with the club back in December. The 30-year-old will likely be nothing more than middle-inning depth in this stint.

Bowden’s last appearance in the big leagues came back in 2021 when he posted a lackluster 6.56 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and 42/21 K/BB ratio across 35 2/3 innings (39 appearances) for the Rockies. The 30-year-old southpaw spent all of last year at in the Braves’ organization at Triple-A Gwinnett, compiling a pedestrian 4.03 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 35/17 K/BB ratio across 29 innings (27 appearances). He’ll function as emergency left-handed relief depth for the rebuilding Athletics.