ARLINGTON, Texas - Sean Manaea’s velocity dip was something of a mystery most of the season, but the A’s left-hander said after an excellent final start that dramatic weight loss probably factored.
Manaea, who pitched into the seventh Thursday and allowed only an unearned run in Oakland’s 4-1 victory over the Rangers, said that he was prescribed attention-deficit disorder medication during the spring and it affected his appetite to the point that he lost 25 pounds in just a few months.
“Weight loss was definitely big factor,” he said. “I know that’s definitely not healthy at all and I noticed it halfway through the season when I was having a really hard time recovering, especially night games to day games.