MESA, AZ - February 27: A.J. Puk #31 of the Oakland Athletics pitches during the game against the Colorado Rookies at Hohokam Stadium on February 27, 2020 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
It was not necessarily a surprise that A.J. Puk was sent down to the Oakland A’s alternate site. While he had been penciled into the fifth starter role, Puk did not get nearly enough innings, nor stretched out enough, to be a part of the rotation. Cole Irvin‘s impressive March was the final nail in the coffin, as Puk was optioned out.