A’s Bassitt feels good after flat-ground throwing session
OAKLAND — A’s right-hander Chris Bassitt, after a flat-ground throwing session Thursday, was looking forward to the next step in what he hopes is a return to the mound in 2021.
Bassitt took a 100 mph line drive struck by Chicago’s Brian Goodwin off his head on Aug. 17 and underwent facial surgery a week later.
“We don’t really have a pitch count. I just throw. I probably threw 20-25 pitches today and unless something happens from here to Saturday, we’ll ramp it up pretty good then and see how we go.”
A’s manager Bob Melvin expects Bassitt to push the envelope with regard to his recovery in hopes of pitching before the end of the season. Bassitt made the AL All-Star team and is the A’s top starter with a 12-4 record and 3.22 earned-run average.
“I think it’s holding him back that’s going to be more of a chore than trying to push him a little bit,” Melvin said before the A’s closed out a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox at the Coliseum. “He’ll throw a regular bullpen on Saturday and then we’ll hopefully map out some sort of plan.”
Although Bassitt said he’d been cleared medically, he also said there were more steps to be taken before he would be cleared to take the mound in a game.
“The lasting effects will be months for nerve damage, that kind of thing, to kind of heal up,” Melvin said. “I kind of joked around with (GM David Forst) a little bit, I don’t need my face to pitch, so we’re good. As long as the doctors say I’m good to go, then I’m good to go. There are still some boxes to check off until I’m in a game but I think we’re pretty damn close.”
In the meantime, Bassitt, who received the “Good Guy” award Thursday from the local baseball writers for cooperation with the media, is in the dugout and keeping things light with his teammates.
“He’s kind of the point man for the pitching staff,” Melvin said. “Not necessarily just the starters, but all of them. He’s been around here the longest, I believe. He takes that part very seriously. It’s just kind of who he is.”
FIERS NEXT STEP: Right-handed pitcher Mike Fiers, on the injured list since May 17 with an elbow strain, is scheduled to throw to hitters Friday.
Melvin said Fiers would pitch live to hitters who haven’t been getting playing time such as Austin Allen or Skye Bolt to gauge whether he’ll be able to pitch with 23 games remaining in the season.
“We’ll have some of our guys that haven’t got a ton of at-bats, he’ll throw to early in the day tomorrow,” Melvin said. “We’ll see where that takes us.”
A’s LINEUP VS. WHITE SOX
2B Josh Harrison
CF Starling Marte
1B Matt Olson
3B Matt Chapman
DH Jed Lowrie
RF Mark Canha
LF Tony Kemp
C Sean Murphy
SS Elvis Andrus