Athletics' Kyle Muller: Optioned to Triple-A level
Rotowire
Oakland optioned Muller to Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Muller was lit up for six earned runs on eight hits and two walks in a five-inning start Monday at Seattle. The 25-year-old left-hander carries a brutal 8.04 ERA in 47 innings (10 starts) this season at the major-league level.
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Athletics' Kyle Muller: Hit hard in loss
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Muller dropped to 1-4 on the season after allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings in Monday's 11-2 loss to the Mariners.
Muller struggled early, giving up a two-run home run to Jarred Kelenic in the first inning and a three-run blast to Jose Caballero an inning later. Muller has allowed at least five runs in six of his 10 starts this season, including each of his last four outings. He has an awful 8.04 ERA with a 1.96 WHIP and 33:23 K:BB across 47 innings. It won't get any easier, as he's tentatively projected for a home start versus the Astros this weekend.
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Athletics' Kyle Muller: Gives up five in no-decision
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Muller did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing five runs on eight hits over four innings against the Diamondbacks. He struck out three.
Muller's start seemed to be doomed from the get-go, as Christian Walker tagged him for a two-run home run in the first inning that scored Emmanuel Rivera and increased Muller's streak of allowing a home run to seven straight starts. The lefty ended up allowing five runs, marking his third consecutive appearance giving up at least five runs. If there was any positive takeaway from Tuesday's contest, it would be that Muller didn't hand out a single walk for the first time all year. Considering Muller has yet to go six innings in a start and has only struck out more than three batters twice in nine outings, he offers little value to fantasy managers.
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Athletics' Kyle Muller: Tagged with third loss
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Muller (1-3) took the loss Wednesday, allowing six runs on five hits and three walks over four innings against the Yankees. He struck out six.
It's been a tough year so far for Muller, who's now allowed five or more runs in four out of eight starts. The 25-year-old left-hander sports an unsightly 7.34 ERA and 1.95 WHIP -- both the highest marks among qualified pitchers -- with a 27:21 K:BB. Muller will look to get on track in his next outing, tentatively scheduled for next week against Arizona.
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Athletics' Kyle Muller: Tagged with five runs
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Muller (1-2) allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks over 5.1 innings, striking out one and earning a win over the Royals on Friday.
Muller worked through three scoreless innings before coughing up a two-run homer to Nick Pratto fourth. The Royals plated another run in the fifth and two more in the sixth, chasing Muller from the contest. His one punchout was his lowest total in any start this season and he's now sporting a pedestrian 21:18 K:BB through 34 frames. Muller will carry a 6.62 ERA into his next outing, which is projected to be a road matchup with the Yankees next week.
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Athletics' Kyle Muller: Shows improvement in no-decision
Rotowire
Muller allowed one run on five hits and two walks over five innings against Cincinnati on Saturday. He struck out three and did not factor in the decision.
Muller entered the contest having given up 16 earned runs over 13 innings across his previous three starts, so a positive outing was much needed. The southpaw didn't overpower the Reds -- he struck out just three batters and notched a meager six swinging strikes -- but he was able to limit them to a Luke Maile solo homer. The improvement should help Muller build some confidence, but it's unlikely to put his name in the minds of fantasy managers. With a 6.28 ERA and a 20:15 K:BB over 28.2 innings, he's pretty far off the radar for the time being.
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Athletics' Kyle Muller: Roughed up again
Rotowire
Muller (0-2) took the loss Sunday, allowing four runs on seven hits and four walks over five innings in against the Rangers. He struck out three.
Muller struggled once again Sunday, giving up at least seven hits for the third straight start while increasing his season ERA to 7.23. He couldn't handle the top of the Rangers' lineup, giving up a three-run home run to two-hole hitter Robbie Grossman in the second inning and letting leadoff man Marcus Semien reach safely three times. Through five starts, Muller has seen his velocity dip down to 92.8 mph from 94.3 mph last season, a concerning fact considering his inability to generate swings-and-misses consistently.
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Athletics' Kyle Muller: Chased early in tough outing
Rotowire
Muller dropped to 0-1 after allowing six earned runs on 13 hits and two walks over four innings in Monday's 10-1 loss to the Cubs. He punched out three batters in the outing.
Muller coughed up two runs through three innings before the Cubs broke the game open in the fourth. He was tagged with six hits in that frame, including three RBI singles. After allowing just three runs through his first 10.2 innings, Muller has given up 12 runs in his last two starts, spiking his ERA to 7.23. He'll carry a 14:9 K:BB into his next start, which is scheduled to be on the road against the Angels next week.
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Athletics' Kyle Muller: Gives up six against Orioles
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Muller did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing six runs on seven hits and three walks over four innings against the Orioles. He struck out three.
The left-hander avoided a loss because Oakland offered a good amount of run support, but it was not a strong outing for the rookie southpaw. A mediocre effort turned into a poor one when he gave up a three-run homer to Ryan Mountcastle in the fifth that brought Baltimore within a run. Over three starts, Muller has registered a 5.52 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 11:7 K:BB across 14.2 innings.
Athletics' Kyle Muller: Throws 95 pitches in no-decision
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Muller completed 5.2 innings against Cleveland on Wednesday, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five batters. He did not factor in the decision.
Muller breezed through five scoreless frames, but he departed after allowing back-to-back baserunners with two outs in the sixth. Domingo Acevedo came on in relief, and he gave up a two-run double, with both tallies being charged to Muller. Despite the disappointing ending, this was nonetheless another positive step for the southpaw, as it built upon his one-run, five-inning outing Opening Day. Muller is by no means a must-roster player in fantasy, but he's become a more intriguing pickup with his pair of solid outings to start the campaign.
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Athletics' Kyle Muller: Pitches well in season opener
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Muller tossed five innings against the Angels on Thursday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out three batters. He did not factor in the decision.
Muller got the Opening Day nod for Oakland despite pitching in just three big-league games last season, and he rose to the occasion. The southpaw was by no means overpowering -- he notched just five swinging strikes and three punchouts -- but this was nonetheless a promising start to the campaign after he allowed 11 runs over 12.1 innings in the majors last year. Fantasy managers may want to see Muller succeed over multiple outings before plucking him off the waiver wire, though he appears to be locked into Oakland's rotation and has shown enough success in the minors to be worth a speculative add in deeper formats.
Muller has been named the Athletics' Opening Day starter for their March 30 matchup against the Angels, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
It wasn't even a sure thing Muller was locked into a rotation spot prior to this announcement, but the A's don't exactly have any good options for the assignment. The left-hander has been hit and miss this spring, posting a 5.65 ERA and 10:3 K:BB over 14.1 innings of work. Muller has some fantasy potential but should probably be viewed as a streaming option initially.
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Athletics' Kyle Muller: Mixed bag in spring
Rotowire
Muller is 1-2 with a 5.65 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 6:3 K:BB across 14.1 innings over four Cactus League appearances (three starts).
The offseason trade acquisition's Athletics debut Feb. 26 against the Brewers went smoothly, with Muller firing a pair of scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and a walk. However, the towering southpaw has pitched to plenty of contact during his subsequent three trips to the mound, surrendering 10 runs (nine earned) on 18 hits, two walks and a hit batsman. Muller has been in contention for a back-end rotation spot with Drew Rucinski and JP Sears, and Steve Stockmar of MLB.com notes the big lefty's five-inning, 57-pitch outing against the Reds on Saturday caught the eye of manager Mark Kotsay. "He came out that first inning and really pounded the zone with his fastball," Kotsay said postgame. "I think he's recognizing the importance of the fastball and got through a full five innings. I thought he did a good job."
