OAKLAND — Paul Blackburn isn’t paying attention to his manager’s praise even though it should give him some assurance heading into the offseason.
Blackburn is unlikely to rejoin the A’s rotation this season as the deep bone bruise on his pitching hand that he suffered while being struck by a hard line drive on Aug. 22 is almost comparable to a fracture. Nevertheless, A’s manager Bob Melvin said the rookie right-hander’s performance during his 10 starts this season has put him in position to earn a spot in the team’s rotation next year.
“I don’t really pay attention to that stuff,” Blackburn said.