Lingering injury puts Fiers availability for A's in jeopardy

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It appears A’s pitcher Mike Fiers’ role in the starting rotation come Opening Day might be in jeopardy.

What originally looked to be a back issue has turned into something more serious, and he will undergo an MRI on Sunday.

“He’s got a little setback here, so he tried to play catch yesterday so it tightened up on him again,” A's manager Bob Melvin said Saturday. “He’s going to get an MRI tomorrow, so we’re going to shut him down for a period of time.”

Melvin said this could impact where the 10-year veteran is in the rotation once the regular season starts.

“It could at this point. I mean he’d have to respond pretty quickly and get out on the mound, now, if there’s anybody able to do that, it’s probably Mike,” Melvin said. “You’ve seen his durability with us in the time that he’s been there. He’s never missed a start. There’s been games where he hasn’t felt great, but he takes the ball and he goes out there and pitches.”

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“Originally we thought it was the back, could be the hip now,” Melvin added. “The MRI is probably the prudent thing to do, but yeah I’d say it might put Opening Day in jeopardy for him.”    

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They’ll take a look at everything in the MRI, Melvin added, but having spoken to Fiers, Melvin was told it felt like whatever was bothering him might be in the hip area.

Fiers re-signed with the A’s in February after posting a 4.58 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 59 innings in 2020.

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