Oakland A’s injury update: Brett Anderson will return, Andrew Triggs probably won’t

There are only 18 games left in the Oakland A’s season, but there are still a couple of pitchers racing against the clock to return from the disabled list. One of them looks like he’ll do just that.

The news is good for Brett Anderson, who has been on the DL for nearly two weeks with nerve irritation in his arm. The lefty threw a simulated game on Saturday and it went well, reports Susan Slusser of the S.F. Chronicle. He’ll start on Thursday in Baltimore, reports Ben Ross of NBCS.

Unfortunately, the news is bad for Andrew Triggs. He’s been out since May with his own arm nerve irritation, but last week he made a rehab appearance in the minor leagues. Afterward his old symptoms returned and he was shut down, reports Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group. The right-hander hasn’t been definitively ruled out for the season, but this was obviously a major blow to his chances.

As of Friday, Sean Manaea had not begun throwing since hitting the DL two weeks ago with rotator cuff tendinitis. The lefty is a “long shot” to return this season, reports Ross.

Summary of MLB disabled list:

• Anderson: returning on Thursday
• Blackburn: resumed throwing
• Manaea: likely out for season but not for sure
• Triggs: shut down
• Smolinski: likely out for season (blood clot)
• Cotton: out for season (TJS)
• Graveman: out for season, and likely 2019 (TJS)
• Gossett: out for season, and likely 2019 (TJS)

Best of luck to all the injured A’s in their recoveries!