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The plan for A.J. Puk: His regular season role and when he’ll throw again

SURPRISE, Ariz. — A.J. Puk is unlikely to start out of the opening day rotation, manager Bob Melvin said on Monday. He is mostly likely to start out of the bullpen.

Puk was shut down the first weekend of March after experiencing some discomfort in his throwing shoulder during a bullpen session.

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“I got real fatigued quick, something I had never felt before,” Puk said. Puk had Tommy John surgery in 2018, so any tweaks are cause for some alarm.

A smooth spring would have the tall left-hander slated as cornerstone in the Oakland A’s young rotation come Opening Day.