ARLINGTON, Texas — A’s relief pitcher Yusmeiro Petit was placed on bereavement leave and flew back to Maracaibo, Venezuela Tuesday morning.
Petit’s mother, Rubia, passed away at the age of 62 Monday after a long battle with an illness. Petit found before Monday night’s game against the Rangers, but told manager Bob Melvin he still wanted to pitch.
“We all had heavy hearts for him and he really wanted to pitch,” Melvin said. “I was not gonna use him in that game unless he really wanted to pitch. We were all saddened for him. It ended up being a really tough day for him.