Athletics Recall Jack Perkins From Triple-A Las Vegas to Bolster Bullpen

Jack Perkins, the right-hander who entered 2026 spring training as a longshot rotation candidate, got his answer Thursday morning: not a starting job, but an immediate return to the Oakland Athletics bullpen. The A's recalled Perkins from Triple-A Las Vegas on April 9, optioning right-handed reliever Michael Kelly to the Aviators in the corresponding move.

Perkins had made three relief appearances for Las Vegas, totaling just seven innings of work, before the organization decided he was the right arm to stabilize a bullpen that has shown cracks in the early weeks of the season. He is ticketed for the long relief role that J.P. Ginn had been filling.

Perkins came into camp vying for a spot in the season-opening rotation but was always a long shot to jump over someone else for a place. A decent spring nonetheless couldn't move the needle enough, and he opened the year back in the desert before Thursday's call made him the first recall of the 2026 season for Oakland.

To clear space on the active roster, the A's demoted Kelly, who had been viewed as a potential late-game option for manager Mark Kotsay. Kelly had a tough start to the season, allowing runs in three of his four appearances. Perkins effectively takes Kelly's roster slot while also assuming a more specific workload: multiple innings, middle-game situations, and the kind of bulk relief assignments that can protect a thin bullpen across a long homestand or a stretch of back-to-back nights.

The A's bullpen has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks. A late-game collapse on Easter Sunday saw a 9-5 lead against the Astros evaporate before Brent Rooker rescued the club with a three-run walk-off home run in the tenth inning. Rooker himself is now dealing with right flank discomfort after exiting Wednesday's game against the Yankees, adding urgency to the need for reliable arms.

Perkins arrived in the majors knowing this roster. He was selected by the Athletics in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Indiana and made his MLB debut on June 22, 2025. In his first big-league stint, he converted each of his three save opportunities, all lasting at least two innings, becoming the first A's pitcher with three saves of two or more innings in a single season since Brett Anderson. That track record with extended outings is precisely why Kotsay's staff turned back to him now.

The recall carries a short shelf life by design. Once off-days allow the bullpen to reset or Kelly works through his early struggles in Las Vegas, Perkins figures to head back to the Aviators. For now, though, he gives Oakland a right-handed arm with the versatility to eat innings and, should his results hold, a legitimate argument for a longer look.