The Oakland Athletics have fired former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Janson Junk after only six days with the team. Junk was sent for assignment after a poor debut against the Seattle Mariners, in which he faced eight hitters without recording an out, surrendering six hits and two walks for seven earned runs. Junk was claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros on August 31, only two days after they designated him for assignment. The Oakland Athletics have recalled left-handed pitcher Brady Basso from Triple-A Las Vegas and assigned right-hander Janson Junk for assignment.
His brief stay with the A’s was cut short when they decided to call up left-hander Brady Basso from Triple-A Las Vegas. “It’s frustrating,” Junk stated following the disaster. “I just didn’t do my job.” Junk struggled tremendously throughout his short time with Oakland. He entered the game in the seventh inning, with the A’s behind 5-2, and promptly allowed a leadoff home run.
His performance caused alarm, requiring the organization to make an immediate decision about his future. “They seemed to not really get fooled with anything,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “Their soft touch resulted in hits, but they squared up several balls. At the end of the day, he wants to move on from this game. Despite his rough appearance, Junk had shown potential in Triple-A this season, with a 3.60 ERA in 50 innings. He tossed 140 innings for the Brewers’ Triple-A level in year, with a 4.18 ERA. Following his release, he accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Nashville, allowing him to remain with the A’s organization while working toward a return to the majors.
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Junk joined the Angels in 2021 following a trade with the New York Yankees. He made a few appearances for the Angels before being traded to the Brewers in 2022. Now he has the chance to rebuild his career and possibly face the Angels again in the future.
