Kaprielian made his first start of 2022 after missing the entire Spring Training due to AC joint discomfort. He struggled with command troubles.
With the bases loaded in the third inning and only 57 pitches thrown, Kaprielian was forced to leave the game with no outs. He had been working his way up to a full workload in three Minor League rehab starts over the previous two weeks.
It took the right-hander two and a half innings to take the loss despite only allowing two runs on three hits, four walks, and two strikeouts.
The outing of Kaprielian had some advantages. He threw a 95 mph fastball to Owen Miller in the first inning, much over the 93mph average for his heater last year.
To begin the second inning, he struck out Franmil Reyes with a slider he’d been experimenting with during his rehab starts.
Manager Mark Kotsay was concerned that the 28 pitches Kaprielian threw in the second inning might have taken a toll on the team.
Things began to go apart once Kaprielian returned for a third time. He loaded the bases with three consecutive walks, throwing 12 of his 13 pitches in the inning for balls.
Concerns may have been raised about his arm health after Kaprielian’s short outing given his previous injury history.
Kaprielian, on the other hand, said he was fine after the game and blamed his poor performance on a lack of execution with his pitches.
I had no problems at all with [injuries]. My fault entirely,” Kaprielian said. As a result, “I just failed to make the necessary adjustments.”
Feeling nice in the open air. There were at least 12 or 13 balls in the third inning, and that can’t be. I need to improve my ability to get into higher-scoring games.”
In 2021, Kaprielian had a strong rookie season, going 8-5 with a 4.07 ERA in 24 games, which gave him some breathing room.
In 2022, Oakland hoped that he would become one of the team’s most important pitchers. It doesn’t matter how many times you try.