MESA, Ariz. — The A’s rotation took on a major twist Tuesday as right-hander Jesse Hahn was optioned to Triple-A Nashville after his struggles this spring.
That points to Felix Doubront opening the season as Oakland’s fifth starter, joining Sonny Gray, Rich Hill, Chris Bassitt and Kendall Graveman.
Hahn’s demotion isn’t a surprise from the standpoint that he has endured back-to-back poor Cactus League starts, allowing a combined 13 earned runs in 15.1 innings. His overall spring ERA is 11.15.
But it is a shock when putting into context the important role that Hahn seemed to hold in the rotation entering camp.