Athletics option Jack Perkins, slot Morris into rotation as Ginn seeks second opinion

The Athletics have optioned right-hander Jack Perkins and are slotting in Morris to fill the rotation gap, MLB.com reported, while J.T. Ginn is seeking a second opinion on what could be an injury that lands him on the injured list.

What happened

MLB.com reported that the Athletics optioned Perkins as part of a rotation shuffle, with Morris taking a spot in the starting group. Ginn, meanwhile, is pursuing a second opinion — a step that, in the familiar grammar of September roster management, tends to precede an IL placement rather than a return to the mound. The club has not announced a formal IL move for Ginn as of this report.

The timing lands in the first week of September, when the expanded roster window — 28 active players are permitted from September 1 through the end of the regular season, up from 26 — gives clubs more flexibility to carry arms and absorb uncertainty. That flexibility matters here: the A's can keep Perkins available in the minors while Morris steps into the rotation without the same roster math pressure that would apply in August.

Why it matters

Rotation continuity is a modest concern for a club sitting at 56-86, but it is not a trivial one. The Athletics stated earlier this week that their goal for the final month of the season is to play spoiler against postseason contenders — a role that requires, at minimum, competitive starting pitching. A rotation that is actively reshuffling arms and awaiting second-opinion results is not exactly the picture of stability, though it is a picture that will be familiar to anyone who has followed a rebuilding club through a September.

The Ginn situation carries the most operational weight. A second opinion does not guarantee an IL stint, but it signals that the club is not confident in a quick return. If Ginn does go on the injured list, the 15-day IL applies to pitchers, which would keep him sidelined through at least mid-September. The A's have not announced that outcome, and the desk will not get ahead of the medical process.

Perkins being optioned rather than designated for assignment suggests he retains options remaining — a player out of options would need to clear waivers before heading to the minors. His path back to the active roster remains open.

Where the club stands

The Athletics are 56-86 (.394), sitting fourth in the AL West, 17 games back of the division lead. Their Wild Card position ranks 11th, 16.0 games relative to the cut line. None of that math is moving in a favorable direction, which is precisely why the spoiler framing the club adopted heading into September is the honest one.

The good news, such as it is: the A's have won three straight, their current streak heading into the weekend. That modest run of form is the backdrop against which this rotation shuffle lands — the club is not in freefall, even if the standings column has been settled for some time.

The upcoming schedule offers a reasonable read on what Morris and the reshuffled rotation will face. Saturday's game at T-Mobile Park in Seattle has Jeffrey Springs lined up against George Kirby for the A's. Sunday at Seattle features Gage Jump against Bryan Woo. The club then returns home Monday to host the Toronto Blue Jays at Sutter Health Park. Seattle and Toronto are both clubs with postseason relevance on the line, which fits neatly into the spoiler mandate the Athletics have set for themselves.

Is Ginn going on the IL?

That has not been announced. MLB.com reported that Ginn is seeking a second opinion, and the club has not formally placed him on the injured list as of this report. A second opinion is a process, not a verdict, and the desk will update when the Athletics make a formal announcement.

What we don't know yet

The nature of Ginn's injury has not been disclosed in the material available. The second-opinion process could resolve quickly or stretch across several days, and the outcome — IL placement, a return to the rotation, or something else — remains unconfirmed. It is also not yet clear how long Morris is expected to hold the rotation spot, or whether Perkins could be recalled once the situation clarifies.

The A's have had a busy injury week. A few days ago, shortstop Jacob Wilson was announced as scheduled for left shoulder surgery on September 16, ending his 2026 season after appearing in only 80 games. Tommy White exited a game against the Rangers earlier this week with lower back tightness, adding another name to the club's medical watch list. The rotation news lands in that context — a club managing multiple simultaneous health situations while trying to stay competitive enough to fulfill its spoiler ambitions.

Per a report earlier this week, Clarke was nearing a return from an injury absence, which could provide some roster relief on the position-player side even as the pitching staff navigates its own uncertainty.

What to watch

The most immediate question is whether the A's formally announce an IL move for Ginn in the coming days. If that happens, it will clarify the rotation picture and potentially open a roster spot that could be filled from the expanded September pool. Morris's performance in his rotation slot will also be worth tracking — the A's have a stated interest in playing meaningful baseball down the stretch, and the starting staff is central to that.

The three-game series in Seattle this weekend, with Springs and Jump lined up for the first two games, is the first real test of the reshuffled unit. Kirby and Woo are not the kind of opponents that make a rotation transition feel low-stakes. After that, the Blue Jays come to Sutter Health Park on Monday, another club with October implications. The spoiler role, it turns out, requires actual pitching.