A’s shut down pitcher A.J. Puk again with shoulder issue - San Francisco Chronicle

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Left-hander A.J. Puk hit a setback in his attempt to return from a shoulder injury and is being shut down for now, A’s manager Bob Melvin said Monday.

Puk was unable to make his scheduled rehab outing Sunday because of shoulder discomfort, Melvin said. It has been a recurring issue: Puk was shut down with a shoulder strain in spring training and sidelined in July after he felt similar discomfort in a training camp outing.

“He didn’t throw (Sunday) and didn’t feel good enough to throw today, even play catch,” Melvin said Monday before the A’s series opener against the Astros. “So it looks like we’re shutting him down here in the interim.

“It’s the shoulder again. He’s got a little soreness in there. I don’t know how severe. He’s probably going to have to see a doctor here in the next day or so.”

Puk was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation in July after seeing orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache and received injections of platelet-rich plasma and cortisone. He recently began facing hitters at the A’s San Jose alternate site as Oakland hoped to activate him down the stretch in a bullpen role. A setback this late in the season throws into further question whether Puk will pitch in 2020.

The A’s 2016 first-round pick, Puk underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 and debuted with Oakland late last season, making 10 outings in relief. Puk, 25, has pitched in only 28 combined games between the minors and majors since 2018 because of injuries.