This season officially begins later this month when the A’s play a two-game series against the Mariners in Japan, but left-hander Dallas Braden will not make the trip with the team as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
Braden threw 45 pitches in a bullpen session yesterday, but told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that “it would behoove me to stay here” and continue his rehab schedule uninterrupted.
Braden underwent surgery on May 17 of last season and according to Slusser the A’s are targeting mid-May for his return to the rotation, but he still has plenty of hurdles to clear first and has yet to throw off-speed pitches from a mound. There’s obviously a spot waiting for Braden in the A’s rebuilt rotation, but at this point counting on him for more than 20 starts is probably wishful thinking.
