Oakland A’s starting pitcher Daniel Mengden had foot surgery on Wednesday and will miss at least six weeks, first reported by Melissa Lockard of Oakland Clubhouse. Jane Lee of MLB.com followed up with details:
Six weeks from today would be March 22, which itself is less than two weeks from Opening Day. Given that’s just the date of getting out of the boot, not returning to the mound, it’s probably safe to assume this injury will delay the start of Mengden’s season.
Mengden was set to compete for a rotation spot this spring. Sonny Gray, Kendall Graveman, and Sean Manaea are probably locks, leaving Jharel Cotton, Andrew Triggs, Mengden, and others fighting for the last two spots.