Manager Bob Melvin said Sunday that Puk (elbow) could work out of the Athletics bullpen once he's reached the finish line in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "The guys who had Tommy John, yeah, there's some serious thought to that, to be able to use their innings and not lose them very quickly," Melvin said of Puk and Jharel Cotton. "That's being bantered about, yes."
Regardless of whether he's deployed as a starter or reliever upon being formally activated, Puk will have an undisclosed innings cap in place coming off the major arm operation. Puk is still viewed as a potential high-ceiling rotation piece for the big club down the road, but the desire to prioritize his health coupled with the fact that he has yet to pitch above the Double-A level might provide sufficient reason for the organization to ease him into big-league action once he's deemed ready.