September 15, 2008 Dallas Braden believes his season is over due to his strained groin, according to the SF Chronicle. He said, "I think I might be done. To pitch, I have to prepare to pitch, and to do that, I have to throw with little or no discomfort. I can't go into a big-league baseball game not at my best."
Our View:Braden proved himself to be effective this season and does not need to return to ensure a roster spot in 2009. The A's will keep their starters on regular rest and Justin Duchscherer (hip inflammation) may be ready to rejoin the rotation this week.
September 13, 2008 Updating an earlier report, Dallas Braden will miss his next start due to his strained groin, according to the Athletics' official website.
Our View:Manager Bob Geren will decide within the next day or two who will take Braden's next turn in the rotation. Greg Smith is a top option, and could step in for Braden on his normal five days between starts because Oakland has an off-day Monday.
September 13, 2008 Dallas Braden said that he tweaked his groin "a lot more than I thought" Thursday and it was still bothering him Friday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Our View:It's possible Braden's next start could be pushed back or skipped altogether with Monday's off day.
September 11, 2008 Dallas Braden lasted just four innings as he needed a whopping 96 pitches to make it even that far against the Rangers. Braden fell to 5-4 after allowing six runs, five earned, and 12 base runners in the outing.
Our View:Not much went right on this night, a bit of a surprise given that he had allowed just three earned runs over his last three starts. Braden needs to work the corners of the plate with his stuff, and tonight he simply found the meat of the strike zone too often.
August 25, 2008 Dallas Braden isn't a household name, but he's impressed the team and the staff with his recent run of starts. Consider the left-hander a lock to be in the A's rotation for the rest of this season, and next. Braden, 2-3 as a starter, has allowed three runs or less in three straight starts.
Our View:His only loss being a 3-1 defeat at Minnesota where he pitched well enough to win.
