The Athletics have placed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. on the 15-day injured list with a right hip impingement, according to Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. Leiter’s placement is retroactive to June 18th. Right-hander Geoff Hartlieb is being selected from Triple-A to take Leiter’s place in the bullpen. With Hartlieb’s selection, the club’s 40-man roster is now full.
The A’s bullpen is a weak spot this year, though it’s probably better than most give them credit for. The group’s 4.91 ERA is tied with the Reds for third-worst in the Majors, but the Athletics’ bullpen has a much more favorable 4.01 expected ERA, which ranks 13th in the league. Leiter’s numbers this year fit that mold pretty well. The 35-year-old has a below-average 4.85 ERA in 29 2/3 innings. However, Leiter’s 4.15 xERA, 3.00 FIP, and 3.42 SIERA all suggest he’s pitching better than that 4.85 mark.
Leiter is technically eligible to return on July 3rd. Gallegos did not specify the severity of Leiter’s injury, though the team may reveal more details in the coming days. Hip impingements don’t typically lead to lengthy absences. The Mets’ Christian Scott landed on the IL earlier this week with the same condition, and he’s expected back by the end of the month. The Twins’ Bailey Ober missed one month with a left hip impingement last year. Based on those comps, Leiter could be back a week before the All-Star break if all goes well, or after the break if he needs more rest.
In the meantime, Hartlieb comes up to the Majors in a middle relief spot. The 32-year-old has scattered 82 2/3 innings in the big leagues since debuting with the Pirates in 2019. The results have been lacking, to put it mildly. Hartlieb has a 7.95 ERA with a 20.0% strikeout rate that comes in below average. Despite averaging in the mid-90s with his four-seamer and sinker, Hartlieb hasn’t shown enough control to harness those pitches, as he’s walked 15.0% of opposing hitters. Since the start of 2021, Hartlieb has thrown just 25 1/3 big league innings while bouncing between a number of organizations on minor league deals.
In all likelihood, Hartlieb will be limited to a handful of low-leverage appearances with the A’s. He has just over two years of service time but is out of options, so he’d need to be designated for assignment to be taken off the roster. Hartlieb has been designated and outrighted in the past, so he has the right to reject future outright assignments in favor of free agency. Hartlieb is averaging over two innings per appearance in the minors this year, so perhaps he’ll eat some innings in garbage time then get designated for a fresh arm as the need arises.
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagn Images
