Luis

Morales

Morales has been knocked around in three appearances with the A’s this season, posting a miserable 14.46 ERA, 3.11 WHIP and a cringe-inducing 7/12 K/BB ratio over 9 1/3 innings. He’ll attempt to work through his command issues at the minor league level.

Morales finds himself back with the Athletics in a long relief capacity after a roughly one-month stint back in the minors where his control issues persisted. The 23-year-old pitching prospect was lit up for 10 runs on 13 hits with an abysmal 5/8 K/BB ratio across 7 1/3 innings over two starts to open the season.

Morales will get another shot with the Athletics after coughing up 10 runs on 13 hits with an abysmal 5/8 K/BB ratio across 7 1/3 innings over two starts to open the season. He’ll presumably be available to pitch in long relief after starter Jacob Lopez against the Guardians on Saturday afternoon. The 23-year-old is a talented pitching prospect, but the results simply haven’t been there for fantasy managers to trust him in any capacity.

The Athletics have decided to jettison Morales to the minors for some additional seasoning after being torched for 10 runs on 13 hits with an abysmal 5/8 K/BB ratio across 7 1/3 innings over two starts to open the season. The hard-throwing 23-year-old pitching prospect will get an opportunity to reset back at the Triple-A level. It’ll presumably be J.T. Ginn taking his spot in the rotation when it comes up on Friday against the Mets.

Morales surrendered two runs to the Astros in the opening frame on four hits and a walk. Two more runs would score in the third, including a solo homer by Christian Walker. Morales walked the leadoff batter in the fourth, and that would be it for the 23-year-old right-hander. He failed to record a strikeout and has allowed five runs in each of his first two starts. Morales lines up for a start against the Mets in New York on Friday.

Morales couldn’t keep the ball in the park, as he allowed three homers to the Toronto lineup, including a solo homer by George Springer to lead off the game. He was able to get his fastball over 98 mph on several occasions and managed a decent nine swings-and-misses, but the command ruined any chance for a successful start. A chance to bounce back comes over the weekend versus the Astros.

Morales walked three of the first four batters he faced and then gave up a bases-loaded double to Lenyn Sosa, at which point he was lifted. He came back out for the second and retired six of seven through the third before being removed for good. Morales, who will face the Jays on Sunday, concludes the spring with a 7.58 ERA and a 17/14 K/BB in 19 innings. He was rather impressive for the A’s last season, but he doesn’t make sense as a starter in shallow leagues right away.

We know that Luis Severino was going to be the Opening Day starter, but the Athletics have now said that Jeffrey Springs will start on Saturday against the Blue Jays and Luis Morales will start on Sunday. Morales hasn’t had the best spring training, but did post a 3.14 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 43/18 K/BB ratio across 48 2/3 innings over 10 appearances (nine starts) with the Athletics last season. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues could add him for this weekend’s start, even to keep him on your bench and get a quick look to decide whether or not you want to hold him through the first waiver period on Sunday night or not.

Morales is pretty much guaranteed a spot in the Athletics’ season-opening rotation, but he’s been hit extremely hard this spring, posting a bloated 7.16 ERA and 15/10 K/BB ratio across 16 1/3 innings of work. The hard-throwing 23-year-old’s fantasy appeal is limited to deeper mixed leagues based on his extremely hitter-friendly home ballpark.

He also labels Luis Morales a “rotation lock,” with J.T. Ginn and Jack Perkins as longshot contenders for the fifth starter role. Lopez had a 4.08 ERA and a 113/37 K/BB ratio across 92 2/3 innings in 2025 and could be a streamable pitcher in the right matchups in 2026.