PHOENIX — The A’s collectively exhaled when Sonny Gray was denied a spot in the World Baseball Classic.
Not that they didn’t want to see their start pitcher perform on an international stage. But because they were able to keep him in A’s camp throughout March.
Gray will make his first spring training start Wednesday when the A’s play the Padres at the Peoria Stadium. He’s expected to pitch two innings.
“I was actually looking forward to him going and pitching,” manager Bob Melvin said, referring to the WBC. “He was ready to go.