Bassitt (1-0) got the win against the Rangers on Monday, scattering two hits over five innings while giving up no runs, striking out seven and walking four as the Athletics prevailed 6-1.
It was a successful first big-league start of 2019 for the right-hander, who was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas after Marco Estrada (lumbar strain) was forced to the injured list. Bassitt worked as both a reliever and a starter last season, so he could go back to a bullpen role at some point, but he made a strong case with this outing to remain the option in the rotation as long as Estrada is out.