Drew

Rucinski

The move makes him a free agent. Rucinski’s career failed to really get off the ground in America before heading to the KBO in his early 30s. He made 121 starts over the course of four seasons in Korea, striking out 657 hitters along the way to catch the eye of the Athletics. His return to the States did not go as planned as he was plagued with injuries in 2023, making just seven starts across Triple-A and the big leagues before shutting things down and undergoing back surgery. Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 reported that he’s expected to miss a portion of the 2024 campaign as well, but he could be a nice low-cost, high-upside option for any team looking to take a shot on him.

The 34-year-old has been shelved since May due to his injuries. He registered a a 9.00 ERA, 2.28 WHIP and a cringe-inducing 6/14 K/BB ratio across 18 innings in his four starts with the Athletics.

The 34-year-old hurler is already stationed on the 60-day injured list and it’s starting to look awfully unlikely that he’ll return this season. Rucinski went 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA, 2.28 WHIP and a cringe-inducing 6/14 K/BB ratio across 18 innings in his four starts with the Athletics.

The procedural move opens up a spot on Oakland’s 40-man roster and rules Rucinski out until at least mid-August as he continues to recover from a stomach illness.

Rucinski was set to take the ball on Monday against the Mariners, which opens the door for one of Oakland’s younger pitching prospects to take the ball instead. No word yet on who exactly will get the call, but it looks like Rucinski could be headed to the bullpen once he’s healthy again. The 34-year-old righty has struggled to a calamitous 9.00 ERA, 2.28 WHIP and 6/14 K/BB ratio across 18 innings (four starts) this season in his return to the big leagues.

Rucinski has really struggled with his control this season, and that trend continued in this one as he handed out a staggering five free passes in less than four innings. He’ll carry a bloated 9.00 ERA, 2.28 WHIP and 6/14 K/BB ratio across 18 innings (four starts) into a challenging road matchup on Sunday against the Astros. There’s a chance he’s removed from Oakland’s starting rotation if he doesn’t turn things around soon.

He only struck out two. Rucinski retired six of the first seven batters he faced, but then chaos came as he walked the 8th and 9th hitters to lead off the Yankee third and an error by Jace Peterson eventually led to three straight singles and a 5-1 lead the Yankees would never relinquish. Rucinski has an 8.16 ERA and a 2.09 WHIP in three starts for the A’s. You’re not planning to pitch him in his planned start against the Rangers on Sunday, we know, but we need to note these things to be thorough.

Rucinski struggled mightily with his control, issuing five walks in this one, including a bases-loaded free pass to Taylor Trammell in the fourth inning. He also served up four hits, including a two-run blast to Trammell, before departing the abbreviated outing. He’ll carry a lackluster 7.71 ERA, 2.25 WHIP and 4/6 K/BB ratio across 9 1/3 innings (two starts) into a challenging road outing on Tuesday against the Yankees.

Rucinski’s first major league appearance since 2018 didn’t go as hoped, as he was nearly knocked from the game in the second inning. He averaged just 88.9 mph with his fastball after missing the last month with a hamstring strain, and he wound up with only one strikeout against a subpar offense. He’ll stay in the rotation for now, but expectations should be low.

Rucinski will make his A’s debut on Friday evening against the Reds. The right-hander has been shelved since March 27 due to a left hamstring strain. He logged 9 2/3 innings over three minor league rehab appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas where he posted an unsightly 6.52 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and an 8/5 K/BB ratio. He should be avoided for fantasy purposes.