As expected the A’s have activated reliever Eric O’Flaherty from the disabled list, completing his comeback from Tommy John elbow surgery 12 months ago. To make room on the roster they designated left-hander Jeff Francis for assignment.
O’Flaherty was an elite setup man for the Braves from 2009-2013, posting a 1.99 ERA in 250 innings. He would have been in line for a big payday as a free agent if not for the elbow injury, but instead settled for a two-year, $7 million deal from the A’s.
Francis has become a sort of defacto fifth starter/long reliever, joining multiple teams for short stints before being let go. He made nine relief appearances for the A’s, posting a 6.08 ERA, and Francis has a combined 5.28 ERA since coming back from Tommy John surgery of his own in 2010.
