OAKLAND – The A’s are adjusting their upcoming starting rotation, with the most notable change being ace Sonny Gray jumping ahead of Chris Bassitt in the order.
Gray will now pitch Saturday against the Royals, with Bassitt going Sunday. In addition, Eric Surkamp will jump ahead of Kendall Graveman and pitch Tuesday’s series opener in New York against the Yankees, with Graveman taking the ball Wednesday.
A’s manager Bob Melvin said the team wanted to avoid having Gray get an extra day’s rest for two consecutive starts. Because of Monday’s upcoming day off, Gray will already be pitching with an extra day’s rest in his following start next Friday at Toronto, and the A’s want to keep him on his regular routine as much as possible.