--RHP Justin Duchscherer had a minor clean-up procedure on his sore right elbow and is expected back in early May following arthroscopic surgery March 31. He might be brought back in relief, especially with RHP Joey Devine starting the season on the DL. Duchscherer has been an All-Star as both a starter and as a reliever, so the A's can plug him into whichever role they believe he'll be able to stay healthy in, or into the role where they have the most need at the time.
--RHP Joey Devine will visit Dr. James Andrews in Alabama on April 8 to try to resolve recurring elbow pain. Devine missed two months with the problem last year, and he missed more than two weeks with it this spring. When it flared up a third time, the A's shut him down, and there is concern he will require season-ending ligament-replacement surgery. --LHP Josh Outman was named the fifth starter over RHP Sean Gallagher, who was in the rotation much of the second half of 2008 after coming over in the Rich Harden deal with the Cubs. Outman and Gallagher both had 5.40 ERAs, but the A's didn't feel Gallagher was attacking the strike zone enough, and Gallagher had mentioned some mechanical issues his final start of the spring. Outman won't be the only rookie in the rotation; RHP Trevor Cahill and LHP Brett Anderson will join him.
--LHP Gio Gonzalez, who is competing with RHP Sean Gallagher for the final bullpen slot, returned to action April 2. He had been sidelined for two weeks because of arm soreness. Gonzalez pitched one inning at San Francisco and allowed three runs.
--LHP Dallas Braden will be the Opening Day starter, taking the spot that would have gone to RHP Justin Duchscherer had he been healthy. Braden will be followed in the rotation by RHP Trevor Cahill and LHPs Dana Eveland, Brett Anderson and Josh Outman. RHP Sean Gallagher, who had been considered a top rotation candidate, instead will battle for a bullpen job, manager Bob Geren said.
Anderson, 21, has been the most consistent of the young prospects contending for a rotation spot, and even before Duchscherer had a recurrence of his elbow soreness, Anderson was considered a strong bet to make the team.
--OF Aaron Cunningham, RHP Chris Schroeder and INF Gregorio Petit were optioned to Class AAA Sacramento. Cunningham hit .295 this spring, though he was tied for the team lead with 12 strikeouts. Schroeder yielded 11 runs in 10 Cactus League innings. Petit hit .280 this spring, but he will play at Sacramento for the third consecutive season.
--RHP Edgar Gonzalez was eliminated from the race to make Oakland's rotation when he was reassigned to the team's minor league camp on March 29. He endured a miserable spring, allowing 17 runs in 14 innings.
--2B Mark Ellis began playing in the field on March 25, right on schedule as he returned from September shoulder surgery. He should be in the Opening Night lineup, but it is likely the team will get him regular rest for at least the first several weeks of the season.
--3B Eric Chavez made his Cactus League debut on defense on March 27 and was also cleared to swing a bat that game. Chavez had been the designated hitter earlier in the spring but had a setback at the start of March when he felt pain in his surgically repaired right shoulder while hitting. His status for Opening Night is iffy, but his return to the field 10 days before the opener made the team optimistic.
BY THE NUMBERS: 87 -- The run total allowed by Oakland's young pitching staff during a 2-8 skid in mid-March, for an ERA of 9.00.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm always really surprised (Mark) Ellis hasn't won a Gold Glove. I have 100 percent confidence I can throw the ball to him without looking because that guy is going to catch it. That guy is solid." -- A's shortstop Orlando Cabrera.
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