A’s starter Drew Pomeranz made his minor league rehab debut on Saturday night with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. And it was promising.
The left-hander struck out seven, walked none, and yielded only one hit — a solo home run — over four strong innings, throwing 37 of 53 pitches for strikes.
Pomeranz — who fractured his right (non-throwing hand in June when he punched a wooden chair out of frustration — should be ready to rejoin the Athletics’ active roster after one or two more rehab outings.
But his rotation spot was recently filled by the Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel trade, and Oakland is expected to leave him at Sacramento as an emergency starter for the stretch run. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if the A’s front office might dangle Pomeranz in a deadline deal for a second baseman.
The 25-year-old had a 2.91 ERA in 55 2/3 innings before the injury.
