Major League Baseball

Pomeranz returns to A's, but with a new role

Published Jun. 3, 2015 10:16 p.m. ET

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Lefty Drew Pomeranz was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday, but he'll take on a new role for manager Bob Melvin. 

Pomeranz will slide into the bullpen and allow right-hander Kendall Graveman to retain his rotation spot, in part because of Graveman's impressive string of starts since being recalled from Triple-A Nashville. 

Pomeranz, out a few weeks with AC joint tightness, admitted to John Hickey of the San Jose Mercury News that there is a difference in perspective coming out of the bullpen versus being a starting pitcher: "It's different when you come to the ballpark every day knowing you have to be ready." 

Despite this switch, it won't be Pomeranz's first foray into relief duty, as he worked out of the bullpen for a stretch in 2014. Manager Bob Melvin reiterated to Hickey that the club likes the lefty's potential as a late-inning presence: "We feel with Drew he has the ability to get righties and lefties out,'' Melvin said. "We feel like the velocity will go up in the bullpen as it has in the past for him. And we are lacking some power arms in the bullpen."

Pomeranz gives the A's a third lefty reliever, joining Fernando Abad and Eric O'Flaherty (with Sean Doolittle currently on the disabled list). 

(h/t Mercury News) 

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