Puk allowed two earned runs on three hits and two walks across two innings in a Cactus League loss to the Guardians on Saturday. He struck out two.
The big left-hander is being given an opportunity to secure a rotation spot on the rebuilding Athletics, but he was the fourth pitcher in Saturday. Puk has now sandwiched a pair of concerning outings -- he also gave up two earned runs on two hits in just two-thirds of an inning in his Cactus League debut against the Angels on March 18 -- around the scoreless pair of frames he threw versus the Royals on Tuesday. If he's unable to demonstrate appreciably better form in whatever opportunities he has remaining prior to the regular season, Puk appears destined to start 2022 in the bullpen or back in Triple-A Las Vegas.