Dany Jimenez Records First Save of 2024 As A's Hold Off Braves
Oakland A's reliever Dany Jimenez pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his first save of the season in the A's 11-9 win at the Atlanta Braves on Saturday. Jimenez allowed one hit and one walk yet provided a save as regular closer Mason Miller, who pitched two innings on Thursday, was given an extra day of rest. Miller remains the clearcut stopper for Oakland, but Jimenez, making his first appearance since his return from Triple-A, offers the A's a veteran option that fantasy users should consider if Miller is out for an extended period. Jimenez is 1-1 with a 3.45 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP in 16 appearances this season.
The Oakland Athletics officially placed right-hander Lucas Erceg (forearm) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to May 26) on Friday and recalled right-hander Dany Jimenez and left-hander Brady Basso from Triple-A Las Vegas in corresponding moves. The A's also optioned right-hander Tyler Ferguson to Vegas and outrighted infielder Tyler Nevin to Vegas after he was designated for assignment on Tuesday. Erceg has not pitched for the A's due to right-forearm tightness since May 25 and will now miss at least another couple of weeks. It's a big loss for the A's bullpen, as the 29-year-old had been operating as lockdown closer Mason Miller's primary eighth-inning setup man. Jimenez has recorded 12 saves in the previous two seasons for the A's but will settle in alongside Austin Adams and Scott Alexander as a setup option for the A's with Erceg out.
The Oakland Athletics optioned right-hander Dany Jimenez to Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday and selected right-hander Tyler Ferguson's contract from Las Vegas in a corresponding move. The club also designated outfielder Lazaro Armenteros for assignment. Jimenez has struggled of late out of Oakland's bullpen, posting a 5.40 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, eight walks and nine strikeouts in his last 10 innings. However, the 30-year-old didn't allow an earned run in his first five appearances of the season, so his overall ERA of 3.68 doesn't look too bad. The Dominican reliever will likely be back with Oakland at some point after going to the minors to work on the command of his pitches. With Jimenez out of the picture for the time being, Lucas Erceg and Austin Adams will be the A's primary setup men in front of impressive young closer Mason Miller.
Oakland Athletics reliever Dany Jimenez was called upon to lock down the game in the ninth inning on Friday against the Nationals, only to blow the save opportunity, although thankfully the A's hung on to win the game 2-1. With their closer Mason Miller unavailable to pitch due to recent workload, Jimenez was tasked with holding down a 1-0 lead and promptly gave up a home run to the first batter he saw. It was the only run he allowed in the inning, but the righty also allowed a double while striking out two batters. The 30-year-old saved 11 games for the A's back in 2022, but just once last year and he probably won't get many more opportunities this season with Mason Miller looking like a legit stopper in the ninth.
The Oakland Athletics don't have a clear No. 1 option for saves in 2024 and they could look to mix and match between several options. Along with young right-hander Mason Miller, righties Dany Jimenez and Trevor Gott could also be involved. "Dany [Jim nez] is the guy right now who has done it the most. Trevor [Gott] has experience pitching in the back of a game, and when he signed here, we talked about giving him that opportunity. Mason Miller's stuff sort of lends itself to thinking he can close. Those three guys right now are probably the most likely candidates," general manager David Forst said. Jimenez, 30, has the most experience of the trio and has 12 career saves in the last two seasons. He's probably the safest flier for saves on a bad team. Miller, meanwhile, has the best pure upside and stuff, but he' also the riskiest because of his injury history.
Mason Miller, Trevor Gott, Dany Jimenez In Closer Mix
Oakland Athletics general manager David Forst said that right-handers Mason Miller, Trevor Gott and Dany Jimenez will be in the closer mix with spring training approaching quickly. The A's want to see Miller get through a full season healthy, and Forst didn't rule out a return to a starting role for Miller after 2024. The 25-year-old missed most of his rookie season in 2023 due to a UCL sprain in his right elbow. Aside from being a major injury risk -- he has gone over 60 innings only twice since college -- Miller has elite stuff on a really bad team in a favorable pitcher's park. He has the most upside but also the most risk out of Gott and Jimenez, and a closer committee in Oakland is about as unattractive as it gets for fantasy managers speculating on saves from a high-leverage bullpen role.
Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Dany Jimenez (shoulder) felt good after throwing 15 pitches during a live batting practice session over the weekend at the Coliseum. Jimenez was moved from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on April 19 with a right-shoulder strain. Although he's making progress, there remains no timetable for his return to the active roster. The 29-year-old will eventually require what could be a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment, so he still has a ways to go before he can rejoin Oakland's bullpen in a late-inning role. He made seven relief appearances for the A's before his injury and allowed four earned runs on four hits while walking six and striking out four with one save in 6 2/3 innings.
Trevor May Lands On 15-Day IL, Dany Jimenez Moved To 60-Day IL
The Oakland Athletics placed relief pitcher Trevor May on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with issues related to anxiety and also transferred reliever Dany Jimenez (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list. Jimenez landed on the IL on Tuesday night and May follows him there a day later after posting a bloated 12.00 ERA with nine walks and eight earned runs allowed in just six innings of work so far this year. There's no timetable for when May might return to Oakland's bullpen, and with Jimenez out for an extended period of time as well, Zach Jackson appears to be the best bet for saves now in the team's bullpen. However, with the A's being one of the worst teams in all of baseball, Jackson probably won't be afforded many save chances.
Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Dany Jimenez (shoulder) was put on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with a strained right shoulder and pitcher Adam Oller was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move, according to the team. Jimenez is the team's primary closer, but he blew his last save chance on Sunday and has just one save with a 5.40 ERA (8.73 FIP), 1.50 WHIP, six walks and four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings pitched so far this year. The A's aren't going to give him many save opportunities this year, and now he's on the shelf for at least the next two weeks. At least while Jimenez is out, Trevor May should be the team's primary closer, making him worth a pickup for those that are desperate for saves. May hasn't been much better with a 7.94 ERA, 2.82 WHIP, eight free passes and six K's in 5 2/3 frames.
Oakland Athletics right-hander Dany Jimenez came into Sunday's game looking to shut down the New York Mets in the ninth inning with a one-run lead. Things didn't go as planned, as the 29-year-old gave up a run on one hit and three walks while recording just one out, a strikeout, before being replaced. Oakland eventually lost the game 4-3 in extra innings. Jimenez hasn't had the start to the season fantasy managers have hoped for, pitching to a 5.40 ERA with four strikeouts and six walks across 6.2 innings. He has the only save of the club's staff, but was never given the closer title and will likely be sharing save chances with Trevor May and Jeurys Familia even if he improves.
