Jimenez has struggled with his velocity this spring, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Jimenez was throwing just 88-89 mph in his first Cactus League appearance before bumping it up to 91-93 mph his second time out. That's still down a bit from what he threw in 2022, which is especially concerning since he ended last season with a shoulder injury. Jimenez entered camp as arguably the favorite to close for the Athletics, but he'll probably need to show better velocity in order for the team to trust him in the role. Trevor May, Zach Jackson and Domingo Acevedo are alternatives for the closer job.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Makes spring debut
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Jimenez (shoulder) struck out a batter and worked around a base hit in a scoreless inning of relief in Sunday's 11-4 win over the Brewers in Cactus League play.
With Jimenez making his debut in the Athletics' second game of the spring slate, he appears to be operating at full strength during camp after a right shoulder strain shelved him for the final five weeks of the 2022 season. Before succumbing to the injury, Jimenez turned in a 3.41 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while striking out 34 over 34.1 innings. He had a brief run of fantasy relevance as Oakland's closer, bagging 11 saves in 14 chances before injuries derailed him from August onward. The Athletics' closer situation remains unsettled heading into Opening Day, and Melissa Lockard of The Athletic reported earlier in February that Jimenez is "probably the favorite get save opportunities early in the season" in light of his success as a rookie. Lockard suggests that offseason pickup Trevor May as well as Zach Jackson are other possible candidates to claim the ninth-inning role.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Expects to avoid surgery
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Jimenez said Sunday that he's not expected to require surgery on his strained right shoulder and is optimistic that he'll be ready to go for spring training, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Jimenez's season came to an end Saturday, when the Athletics placed him on the 60-day injured list due to the shoulder injury. Fortunately, Jimenez looks like he'll be able to treat the injury through rest and rehab, but the time he'll miss down the stretch could prove costly in his bid to open the 2023 campaign as the Athletics' closer. When healthy, Jimenez had served as the Athletics' primary end gamer in 2022 and notched a team-high 11 saves to go along with respectable ratios (3.41 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 11 K-BB%), but his lack of extensive MLB experience and uncertain health coming off the shoulder injury hardly make him a safe bet to regain the closer's role next spring.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Placed on 60-day IL
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Jimenez was placed on the 60-day injured list Saturday with a right shoulder srain.
Jimenez last pitched Wednesday versus the Marlins and apparently left the appearance a little worse for wear, as his move to the 60-day IL with the strained shoulder ensures he'll miss the rest of the season. He finishes the 2022 campaign with a 3.41 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 34 strikeouts, 11 saves and four holds over 34.1 innings in 34 appearances with the Athletics. Austin Pruitt had his contract selected from Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday and will replace Jimenez in Oakland's bullpen.
Jimenez, who pushed his season record to 3-4 with two scoreless innings during which he allowed a hit and recorded a strikeout in an extra-inning win over the Mariners on Saturday, has an unblemished ERA and 10.1 K/9 across the 10.2 innings covering his last nine appearances.
The scoreless streak stretches all the way back to June 11, three appearances prior to Jimenez's extended stay on the injured list due to a shoulder strain. The rookie has whittled his ERA and WHIP down to 3.31 and 1.16, respectively, over that span, after they'd ballooned to 4.91 and 1.32 following a rough outing against the Guardians on June 10. Save opportunities are hard to come by in Oakland this season, but Jimenez has made good use of his chances by going 11-for-13 in that category and also recording three holds in addition to his trio of victories.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Dominant in return to action
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Jimenez, just activated from the injured list Tuesday, fired a perfect eighth inning during which he struck out the side in a win over the Angels on Thursday, earning his third hold.
The right-hander couldn't have asked for a better return to action, firing 10 of his 14 pitches for strikes in his first appearance since June 18. Jimenez extended his scoreless streak to four appearances with Thursday's blanking, which pushed his ERA and WHIP down to 4.21 and 1.21, respectively.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Back from injured list
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Jimenez (shoulder) was activated from the 15-day injured list Tuesday.
Jimenez has been sidelined by a strained shoulder for the past six weeks, but he'll rejoin the Athletics' active roster Tuesday after making two minor-league rehab appearances. The 28-year-old has a 4.38 ERA and is 11-for-13 in save chances this season, and he should be in the ninth-inning mix alongside A.J. Puk and Zach Jackson after Lou Trivino was traded to the Yankees.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Strikes out side in rehab debut
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Jimenez (shoulder) fired a perfect inning during which he struck out the side in Triple-A Las Vegas' loss to Albuquerque on Friday.
Jimenez made his rehab debut as expected and pounded 12 of his 16 pitches in for strikes during his dominant frame. The right-hander is slated to make another relief appearance with the Aviators on Sunday, and the the Associated Press reports manager Mark Kotsay will then meet with Jimenez to determine next steps.
Jimenez (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Jimenez has progressed smoothly in his recovery from a shoulder strain over the last several weeks. He's thrown several bullpen sessions and faced live hitters Tuesday. The right-hander isn't expected to require a lengthy rehab assignment, so he'll likely be able to rejoin the Athletics' bullpen sometime next week.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Bullpen coming Saturday
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Jimenez (shoulder) is set to throw a 25-pitch bullpen session Saturday and is scheduled to face hitters Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.
Jimenez's recovery from a shoulder strain has been on a steady uptick over the last couple of weeks, with Saturday's scheduled bullpen the latest example of such. If the right-hander emerges from Saturday's and Tuesday's activities without setbacks, it's likely he embarks on a brief rehab assignment shortly thereafter according to prior comments from manager Mark Kotsay.
Jimenez (shoulder) completed a 30-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Jimenez has been sidelined just over a month with a strained right shoulder, but he appears to be nearing the final stages of his rehab program. The right-hander is next expected to face live batters, after which he could receive clearance to begin a minor-league rehab assignment.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: One rehab appearance likely
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Jimenez (shoulder) played catch again before Friday's game against the Astros, and manager Mark Kotsay noted the right-hander will likely need at least one rehab appearance, the Associated Press reports.
Jimenez has progressed to throwing out to 90 feet in recent days and has apparently been able to engage in multiple throwing sessions without setback. Consequently, the brief rehab assignment Kotsay alluded to could well be imminent, and it's possible Jimenez even logs multiple appearances in the minors considering he's been sidelined since June 21.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Throwing out to 90 feet
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Jimenez (shoulder) has progressed to throwing out to 90 feet this week, but he still needs to be stretched out over the next 7-10 days, the Associated Press reports.
The right-hander has made steady progress over the last few days, considering he hadn't picked up a ball during his recovery until Monday. Even though Jimenez appears to have made up some ground quickly, this report implies the Athletics will remain cautious with him with respect to an activation date. There's likely a chance Jimenez is sent on a brief rehab assignment as well, given he went on the injured list June 21.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Plays catch Monday
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Jimenez (shoulder) played catch for the first time in his recovery process Monday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander has been on the injured list since June 21, and Monday's development naturally represents a significant benchmark. How Jimenez's shoulder responds to Monday's activity will determine how much of a ramp-up his throwing program is subject to over the coming days.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Could start throwing next week
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Oakland team trainer Nick Paparesta said Wednesday that Jimenez (shoulder) could resume throwing as soon as next week, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Though an MRI on Jimenez's strained right shoulder revealed no structural damage, he hasn't been cleared to resume baseball activities since landing on the injured list June 21. The right-hander is expected to take part in plyometric work later this week, and if the shoulder responds well to the activity, he could be cleared to start playing catch off flat ground. Even so, Jimenez looks as though he'll require more than the minimum 15 days to make it back from the IL, giving other relievers on the Oakland roster a chance to close games. Lou Trivino has been manager Mark Kotsay's preferred option thus far, with the 30-year-old having notched saves in back-to-back appearances Saturday and Sunday.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Shut down with shoulder strain
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The Athletics placed Jimenez on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right shoulder strain, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The injury is a tough break for the rookie reliever, who has emerged as Oakland's closer this season with 11 saves in 13 opportunities. As a result of his placement on the IL, Jimenez won't be eligible to return until July 4, and it's possible his absence lingers beyond that if he isn't cleared to resume throwing within the next few days. While Jimenez is on the shelf, A.J. Puk, Domingo Acevedo and Zach Jackson represent potential candidates to pick up saves.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Stuck with loss Wednesday
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Jimenez (2-3) recorded a hold but took the loss Wednesday, coughing up four runs on two hits and two walks in only two-thirds of an inning as the A's fell 5-4 to the Astros. He struck out two.
The right-hander got the final out of the eighth inning with Oakland protecting a 3-1 lead, but Jimenez unraveled in the ninth, walking in one run before serving up a bases-loaded double to Yordan Alvarez. Jimenez has been tagged for eight runs over his last three appearances, sending his ERA soaring from 0.49 to 3.92, but the fact that no other Oakland reliever is pitching particularly well at the moment should buy him some extra time to turn things around and hang onto the closer role.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Blows save, snags win
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Jimenez (2-2) allowed a run on no hits and one walk in one inning, blowing a save but earning the win Sunday versus the Rangers.
Jimenez walked Marcus Semien, who stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored the game-tying run on a wild pitch. Luckily for Jimenez, the Athletics responded in the bottom of the ninth with a walkoff single from Jed Lowrie. This was Jimenez's first blown save in 11 opportunities this year, as he's been excellent while holding onto the closer role for the Athletics. He's posted a 2.25 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 21:8 K:BB across 20 innings.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Converts ninth save
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Jimenez saved Tuesday's 7-5 win against the Mariners, allowing one walk while striking out two in the ninth inning.
Jimenez retired the first two Mariners in the ninth inning before walking Adam Frazier on four pitches, but he was able to strike out Julio Rodriguez to end the game. The 28-year-old rookie only tossed seven of 14 pitches for strikes, but an impressive four were of the swinging variety as Jimenez has now recorded 19 strikeouts in 17.2 innings and has converted all of his save chances.
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Athletics' Dany Jimenez: Records sixth save
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Jimenez struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Thursday against the Tigers.
Jimenez set down the side on 14 pitches to record his sixth save of the season. He now has each of the Athletics' last five saves, and he appears to be the most trusted option in the ninth inning over Lou Trivino. Jimenez has proven reliable early on in the campaign, turning in 13 scoreless innings while posting a 15:5 K:BB.
