Athletics pitcher James Kaprielian chatted with the NBC Sports California broadcast booth about how newcomer Shintaro Fujinami is adjusting to baseball in the United States.
The Athletics brought a familiar face back to the bullpen for the 2023 MLB season after agreeing to terms with reliever Jeurys Familia on a one-year contract.
Oakland announced the news Sunday and placed left-handed pitcher Kirby Snead on the 60-day IL with a strained left shoulder, clearing a spot on the 40-man roster for Familia.
Familia is no stranger to the Bay.
The 33-year-old spent time with the A's during the 2018 MLB season when he was acquired in a trade with the New York Mets in exchange for Will Toffey, Bobby Wahl and international bonus money. In 30 games for Oakland over the course of two months, Familia was 4-2 with a save and a 3.45 ERA.
Pitching for both the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox in 2022, Familia had a combined record of 2-3 in 48 relief appearances with a 6.09 ERA and an opponent OPS of .908.
Most recently, Familia was a non-roster invitee with the Arizona Diamondbacks in spring training but was released Friday after compiling a 1.35 ERA and holding opposing batters to a .167 average in eight relief appearances.
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The A's subsequently swooped him up, and he made his official return to the mound for Oakland on Sunday in the team's exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants at the Coliseum.
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In one inning of work against the Giants, Familia surrendered two hits and one unearned run while striking out two.
While A's fans got their first -- well, most recent -- glimpse of Familia on Sunday, it could be a while before they see Snead again. Before he was placed on the IL, Snead made one spring training appearance for the A's and earned the win after allowing two runs on three hits in one inning of work.