A’s pitcher acquired in trade with Atlanta Braves

The Oakland A’s have promoted right-hander Royber Salinas to Triple-A Las Vegas. Salinas was acquired by the A’s as part of the Sean Murphy trade with the Atlanta Braves following the 2022 season and currently ranks 15th on Pipeline. Kyle Muller, Esteury Ruiz and Freddy Tarnok were also part of the return, and each had at least a short stint in Oakland. Salinas, 23, was maxed out at High-A when he was traded and was a step down.

With this latest promotion, Salinas is now set to make his big league debut with the A’s, which could be a real possibility later in the season. The A’s have been dealing with a number of injuries early in the season, and there’s a chance he could become one of those guys in the mix if an opportunity presents itself. He could also just win it.

The right-hander is 2-1 this season with a 2.59 ERA in five starts, spanning 24 1/3 innings. FanGraphs’ scouting report shows him three plus-or-better pitches with a 55 fastball, 60 slider, and 60 curve, but it’s his average control that has hampered his development thus far. His walk rate is up from last season, going from 10.8% to 13.3% in a small sample size, but his FIP is down slightly, his against average is down slightly, and he’s been effective despite a BABIP against of .340.

During his final year in Atlanta, Salinas held a 3.55 ERA in 109 innings with 175 strikeouts. Last season with Double-A Midland, he held a 5.48 ERA in 67 1/3 innings with 89 punch-outs. His strikeout rate (31.4%) isn’t quite comparable to Atlanta’s (33.1%), but he’s still collecting Ks at a high level, even at a higher level.

Salinas joins the Aviators rotation following the promotion of left-hander Hogan Harris to Oakland. Harris was called up to replace Joe Boyle, who landed on the IL Monday with a lower back strain, but will be used out of the bullpen.

The newest addition to the Vegas rotation is set to make his Triple-A debut Tuesday night against the Round Rock Express, an affiliate of the Texas Rangers.