Diekman is likely to remain in his customary setup role during the prolonged absence of closer Trevor Rosenthal following surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. "It's not ideal to use Jake in the ninth inning," manager Bob Melvin said. "A lot of times, his spot comes up before that in the eighth."
Diekman proved nearly unhittable last season while primarily logging eighth-inning work, securing 13 holds while posting an 0.42 ERA and 0.94 WHIP across 21.1 innings (21 appearances). The veteran left-hander's extensive body of work in high-leverage/non-closing scenarios is one reason Melvin seems intent on using him earlier than the ninth inning. When addressing how he'll handle the closer role for the time being, the Athletics skipper expressed a preference for Lou Trivino to get the first chance at ninth-inning duties.