The A's might have just received the best Christmas present they could have ever asked for.
Executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane told the San Francisco Examiner that starting pitcher Sean Manaea, initially expected to miss the entire 2019 season following shoulder surgery, potentially could return as soon as the All-Star break in July.
“We need starters, but with guys like Sean, we’ve got a process of rehab that we’ve got to follow through,” Beane told The Examiner. “Optimistically, and I think we should be optimistic because it sounds like the surgery went well, we’re hoping there’s a chance Sean will be there at the All-Star break.