A’s top prospect is scheduled to make MLB debut, start tonight at Sutter Health Park
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 called up left-handed pitcher Gage Jump, the organization’s No. 3 prospect and a Top 50 prospect in all of Major League Baseball, who will make his MLB debut and start Tuesday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park, the club confirmed in a news release Tuesday.
Jump, 23, the No. 41 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline, was called up after starter Aaron Civale hit the 15-day injured list with right shoulder tendonitis and center fielder Denzel Clarke was moved to the 60-day IL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s said.The move was previously reported by ESPN and MLB.com.
Civale, the A’s third-most consistent starter this season, was injured during Monday’s 9-2 loss to the Mariners after allowing seven runs in 4 innings on decreased velocity. After the game, A’s manager Mark Kotsay said Civale would “most likely” end up on the IL.
Clarke was first placed on the IL in late April with a mid-foot bone bruise, the release said.
Though Jump has only thrown more than 5 innings once in the minor leagues this season, the top prospect will at least temporarily 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.
Despite the tough outing Monday, Civale had been a solid contributor to the A’s rotation, holding a 5-2 record and 4.20 ERA in 11 starts this season. The team’s top two starters, Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs, both hold losing records but have posted solid, low-4 ERA campaigns thus far.
The A’s fifth starter, Jacob Lopez, has struggled in his second season with the team, pitching to a 5.73 ERA and surrendering 31 walks in 48.2 innings. Lopez’s struggles mean that, if Jump performs well in the Majors, the top prospect could remain in the rotation once Civale returns, potentially pushing Lopez to a long relief role.
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.
This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 11:31 AM.
