MESA, Ariz. — A pitcher originally tabbed as a near-lock for the A’s Opening Day starting rotation appears to be out of the mix.
Daniel Mengden was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas Monday morning. It’s a move that comes as a bit of a surprise after the right-hander had entered spring camp as the likely No. 4 starter.
There are a couple of factors that likely played into this decision.
Because Mengden has not accrued enough major league service time, he has a fourth minor league option instead of the usual three granted to a player.