The A’s still aren’t entirely sure what the problem is in the right shoulder of starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez, but the right-hander has been shut down for a month so the club can get a better grasp on what’s going on.
Manager Bob Melvin said he’d been told an MRI had not revealed any structural damage to the shoulder, which was first operated on last July by orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews. That being said, the two times Alvarez has built himself up to being ready to join the rotation, shoulder pain has cropped up.
After the MRI Andrews settled for a PRP (platlet-rich plasma) injection a week ago, then ordering Alvarez not to pick up a baseball for a month.