Puk will start the Athletics' Cactus League opener Saturday against the Cubs, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Puk made a midseason return from Tommy John surgery in 2019 before closing out the year in Oakland's bullpen, finishing the season with a 3.18 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 13 strikeouts across 11.1 innings. The 24-year-old southpaw will be attempting to earn a role in the Athletics' rotation this spring, competing with Chris Bassitt and Jesus Luzardo. Puk received high praise from his catcher Austin Allen following a live batting practice session to hitters Tuesday at Fitch Park in Arizona. "He looked really good, his fastball was there, he was throwing strikes with everything," Allen said. The 2016 first-round pick by Oakland will look to utilize his 6-foot-7 frame and full arsenal of pitches to keep hitters off balance and impress his coaches throughout spring training.