One by one, Athletics starters keep biting the dust. The latest to fall is Sean Manaea, the staff ace who’s been out since Aug. 26 with a left shoulder strain and is now officially done for the year—and perhaps 2019 as well—following news on Tuesday that he needs arthroscopic surgery. His departure leaves Oakland with just three starters in its rotation—and, more importantly, no clear answer on whom to start in the AL wild-card game.
In hitting the disabled list, Manaea joins a long list of A’s starters who have succumbed to injury. The butcher’s bill includes Manaea, Brett Anderson (forearm strain), Daniel Gossett (Tommy John surgery), Paul Blackburn (lateral epicondylitis, aka tennis elbow), Andrew Triggs (nerve irritation in his arm), and Opening Day starter Kendall Graveman (Tommy John surgery).