The Oakland A’s waited until Tuesday to name their starter for the upcoming AL Wild Card Game, but it’s now official: Sean Manaea will get the ball on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The decision came down to Manaea or Mike Fiers, but the nod goes to Manaea. That’s quite a turnaround for the left-hander, who was the team’s top starter in 2018 but spent the first five months of this season on the injured list while recovering from shoulder surgery. He was brilliant upon his return to action in September, and it only took him five starts to re-prove himself.