Luis Morales Gets Sent Down After Command Spirals: Athletics Hope Minor Leagues Fix What's Broken

The Oakland Athletics optioned pitcher Luis Morales to Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, pulling the plug on what's been a rough early stretch for the 23-year-old right-hander. Manager Mark Kotsay made it clear: Morales needs to get his control back, and fast.

Two Starts, Zero Wins, and Command Issues That Won't Quit

Morales was brutal in his last two outings. He went 0-2 with a 12.27 ERA against Toronto and Houston, and those numbers don't even tell the whole story. Against the Blue Jays on March 29, he surrendered three homers. Then Saturday against Houston, he walked six batters,a career high,while giving up eight hits in the same game. That's the kind of start that gets you a one-way ticket to the minors.

"Command has been a big issue for Luis," Kotsay said before Tuesday's game against the Yankees. The manager also pointed to something deeper: a confidence issue that was visible on the mound. "Just the lack of confidence overall, too, you could see it the last start," Kotsay added.

The Spring Training Red Flag Nobody Wanted to See

This wasn't a complete surprise. Morales made the Opening Day roster despite walking 14 batters in just 19 innings across five spring outings. Kotsay acknowledged the early warning signs but hoped the kid could adjust once the games counted. "We felt like he could make the adjustment to being able to fix some mechanical things that he needs to work through," the manager explained.

Instead, the mechanical issues followed him into the regular season. The Athletics as a whole have been a mess on the mound too, issuing 58 walks in nine games. Only Houston has been worse.

What's Next for Morales and Oakland

Morales signed with Oakland back in January 2023 during the international signing period. Before this demotion, he was 4-3 with a 3.14 ERA in 10 appearances over nine starts, but he'd given up 18 walks in 48 2/3 innings. The low ERA masked control issues that were always lurking.

Kotsay is banking on a reset working: "My expectation is he goes down and he gains his confidence back and he'll be back with us at some point." To fill Morales' spot in the rotation, the Athletics brought up reliever Joel Kuhnel from Las Vegas. Kuhnel hasn't appeared in the majors since last season and carries a 5.86 ERA over 82 career appearances with Cincinnati, Houston, and Tampa Bay.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.