A’s call up yet another top prospect, reports say. Will he debut in West Sacramento?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A’s plan to call up No. 3 prospect Gage Jump, per ESPN and MLB.com.
- Jump likely takes Aaron Civale’s roster spot as he is expected to hit the injured list.
- Jump could make his Major League debut as early as Tuesday night at home.
The Athletics are planning to call up left-handed pitcher Gage Jump, the organization’s No. 3 prospect and a Top 50 prospect in all of Major League Baseball, who may start a game as soon as Tuesday, according to reports from ESPN and MLB.com.
Jump, 23, the No. 41 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline, will likely take the roster spot of starter Aaron Civale, who is expected to hit the injured list, MLB.com reported. The A’s had not confirmed the report as of late Tuesday morning.
After Monday’s 9-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners, A’s manager Mark Kotsay said Civale would “most likely” end up on the IL for an unspecified injury.
MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos reported in a social media post Tuesday morning that Jump would start and make his MLB debut Tuesday night against the Mariners at Sutter Health Park, pushing the A’s top two starters Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs back a day.
Though Jump has only thrown more than 5 innings once in the minor leagues this season, the top prospect will likely take a spot in the A’s mixed bag of a starting rotation that features just one pitcher with an ERA below 4, in J.T. Ginn. While it may take some time for Jump to get adjusted to the workload, his recent outings have been the strongest and longest of his season.
After a tough start to his season with the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, Jump has been on a tear over his last two starts, throwing 11 scoreless innings including a seven-inning, nine-strikeout gem in his most recent start last Wednesday.
In nine Triple-A starts this season, Jump is pitching to a middling 4.50 ERA, though an electric 58 strikeouts in 38 innings show the strength of his stuff. Most notably, Jump’s fastball, earning the maximum 60 grade on MLB Pipeline, is effective in the mid-to-high 90s thanks in part to the lefty’s distinctly over-the-top throwing angle. Jump’s slider and curveball are his main offspeed pitches, both working well in the minors.
Jump’s main issue this season has been control, issuing 4.7 walks per nine innings pitched. In a blow-up start May 8, Jump surrendered five runs on five walks. Walks were not nearly as much of a problem during his time in Double-A and High-A last season, where he held a combined 3.28 ERA across 26 appearances.
Before turning pro, Jump played for UCLA and LSU. In summer 2022, Jump underwent Tommy John surgery while with the Bruins, forcing him to miss the rest of the season and the full 2023 campaign before transferring to LSU.
Jump, a California native, played high school ball in Orange County at JSerra Catholic High School, where he was one of the top-rated prospects in the entire state.
