Harden pushed back...

[Providence A's]

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NAS...=.jsp&c_id=oak

The strained oblique muscle that sent A's righty Rich Harden to the disabled list for five weeks earlier in 2005 is just fine, he insists. It's another part of his torso that's the problem now, and nobody's quite sure how big of a problem it is.
Harden, who was scheduled to start here Thursday in the finale of a three-game series against the Tigers, is being pushed back in the rotation at least two days with a slight right-lat strain.

As a result of Harden's injury, Barry Zito and Joe Blanton have each been moved up one day, meaning Zito will start Thursday and Blanton will start the opener of a four-game series in Baltimore on Friday.

Let's hope he can come back Saturday like the article goes on to say...otherwise our playoff chances will be hurt if he's out for a longer period of time...

The article also goes on to say that Cruz was held to a pitch count in his start at AAA and could be called up to start if Harden misses a start...the team says if Harden can't go Saturday, he'll just miss one start.

[A'sDiehard]

Hmmmmmm..........not good. This worries me.

[Providence A's]

that emoticon is freaky...

I'm sure Harden will be ok

[Providence A's]

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NAS...=.jsp&c_id=oak

Harden said he felt better on Thursday, but not well enough to throw the bullpen session he'd need to take the ball in Baltimore.

"'Better' is a term I despise," Macha said. "I want to hear 'good,' 'great,' 'outstanding.'"

Macha wouldn't say who'll start for the A's on Saturday, reiterating only that it will be either lefty Joe Kennedy, who has worked exclusively out of the bullpen since being acquired July 13, or righty Juan Cruz, who is 4-1 with a 2.65 ERA at Triple-A Sacramento this season.

The A's had been leaning toward Cruz, whom they asked River Cats manager Tony DeFrancesco to limit to four innings Tuesday night, but it now appears likely that Kennedy will get the nod.

A source in Sacramento said that Cruz was told Tuesday that he was going to be called up, but told a day later that the move was on hold. Kennedy, who was 4-8 with a 7.04 ERA in 16 starts with Colorado before the trade, is 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA -- and, more significantly, a .208 opponents' batting average against the players on the Orioles' current roster -- in seven career games against Baltimore, including seven innings of shutout work against them last year during Interleague play.

If Kennedy gets the call, the A's will recall lefty reliever Ron Flores and likely demote seldom-used infielder Keith Ginter.

It's nice to see we have some flexibility with our pitching, but I'd still prefer Rich to be healthy and out there...as I'm sure the A's would, too.