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Rich Harden

6/8/2006

Harden returned to the disabled list with a strained ligament in his right elbow Thursday. Harden had just come back from the DL with a torn oblique muscle and made only one start, pitching four innings on Sunday against Minnesota. But in the third inning, his sore elbow became worse. He underwent an MRI at the Cleveland Clinic on Wednesday, which revealed the strain.

6/4/2006

Harden was activated by the Oakland Athletics from the disabled list Sunday after being sidelined since April 26 with a strained back injury. The right-hander was scheduled to take the mound for Sunday's four-game series finale against the Minnesota Twins. He was 3-0 with a 4.06 ERA in five starts this season prior to Sunday's game and had gone unbeaten since Aug. 9, 2005.

4/28/2006

The Oakland Athletics placed Harden on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a muscle strain in his back. The 24-year-old right-hander left his Wednesday start during the fourth inning after suffering the injury. He is 3-0 with a 4.06 ERA in five starts this season.

4/27/2006

Harden left during the fourth inning of his Wednesday start with back spasms. The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that the Oakland right-hander will undergo an MRI exam on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury.

9/27/2005

Harden will not start for the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night. The ball goes to Joe Kennedy, and the A's ace will be available in the bullpen. Harden worked a scoreless inning of relief on Sunday, in his return from a muscle injury in his pitching shoulder.

9/26/2005

Harden was impressive in a one-inning relief outing on Sunday, five weeks after he last pitched for the Oakland Athletics because of a muscle injury in his pitching shoulder. He touched the high 90s in his Sunday appearance, sparking the possibility that he might start for the A's against the Angels on Tuesday night.

9/24/2005

Harden threw a 31-pitch simulated game on Friday, and after participating in some light toss on saturday could be available to pitch out of the bullpen as soon as sunday. that according to A's pitching coach Curt Young.

9/17/2005

Harden admitted Friday that he has no idea if he will be able to pitch again this season. Harden, who has been sidelined since August 20 with a muscle injury in his pitching shoulder, said he didn't know where manager Ken Macha had come up with September 25 as a possible return date. He said no timetable has been set.

9/16/2005

Harden threw 40-45 pitches from flat ground on Thursday, and a similar session is planned for this weekend. The Oakland righthander is trying to return from a muscle strain in his upper back before the regular season comes to an end.

9/13/2005

Harden's setback on Sunday, while rehabbing a muscle strain in his upper back, could mean the Oakland righthander won't make another start during the regular season. While that's a possible scenario the A's hope doesn't play out, the team is looking for a rebound and would like Harden to make a start during the last week of the season.

9/12/2005

Harden suffered yet another setback in his attempt to return from a muscle strain in his upper back, suffered on August 19. He was scheduled to start Friday against Boston, but after only throwing 15 of a planned 35 pitches during a simulated game on Sunday, those plans are on hold. The earliest that he could start is now some time next week.

9/6/2005

Harden played long toss without discomfort before Monday's game, making roughly 20 throws from 90 feet. All went well, and Oakland team trainer Larry Davis hopes the A's ace righthander will be ready to face Texas on Sunday.

9/5/2005

Out since August 19 with a muscle strain in his upper back, Harden could return to the Oakland rotation on Sunday, September 11, at Texas or Monday, September 12, at Cleveland. The A's righthander will begin long toss early in the week and build up his baseball activity for a return in a week.

9/1/2005

An MRI exam has confirmed a muscle strain in Harden's upper back. The Oakland righthander will not make his scheduled start Thursday and seems certain to miss next Tuesday's outing as well. It's uncertain how long it will take for the injury to heal.

8/31/2005

Harden has been experiencing pain in an upper right back muscle lately, and the discomfort was as bad as ever while throwing in the bullpen before Oakland's Tuesday night game against the Los Angeles Angels. The A's righthander had to stop after throwing roughly a dozen pitches because the muscle tightened up on him. He has been scratched from his Thursday start against the Angels, and his scheduled outing for the following Tuesday also has been scrapped.

7/28/2005

Harden's valuable right arm was a bit cranky after he threw 111 pitches in only 5.1 innings Sunday in Arlington. After his side session on Wednesday, Harden was cleared to start for Oakland Friday against visiting Detroit.

7/20/2005

After carrying a perfect game into the eighth inning and completing a two-hit shutout over Texas last week, Harden came within one out of another complete game on Tuesday. The 23-year-old righthander allowed just four hits and a run in Oakland's 3-1 victory over the American League West-leading Angels.

7/15/2005

Harden carried a perfect game into the eighth inning Thursday night, before settling for a masterful two-hitter in the Oakland Athletics' 6-0 victory over the Texas Rangers. Harden has proven he's the ace of the A's staff. Since returning from a six-week layoff for an oblique strain, he has gone 4-1 with a 1.45 ERA and 0.73 WHIP. For the season, he is 6-4 (2.23 ERA).

6/22/2005

After being activated from the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day, Harden returned to the mound for the Oakland A's in Tuesday night's meeting with the Seattle Mariners. The 23-year-old righthander, who had missed nearly five weeks with a strained left oblique muscle, notched the win by allowing just one run on two hits in five solid innings of work. He struck out three and walked one.

6/21/2005

On three days' rest following an impressive rehab start Friday, Harden will return to the Oakland rotation and face the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday at Safeco Field. The Athletics will get their best starter back after a five-week layoff for an oblique strain. He is 2-3 with a 2.80 ERA in seven starts for the A's.

6/20/2005

It's likely that Harden will return to the Oakland Athletics this week. Reportedly the A's brass is considering a return against Seattle on Tuesday, on three days' rest following his impressive rehab start Friday. That would allow the A's to skip struggling starter Ryan Glynn. Or the A's could give Harden one more start at Triple-A Sacramento and set him up to return on Sunday against San Diego.

6/18/2005

Harden was very sharp in his first rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento, allowing just one hit while striking out seven in three innings. The pitcher has been sidelined since May 13 with a strained oblique muscle.

6/16/2005

Harden will make a rehab start Friday for Triple-A Sacramento against Colorado Springs. The Oakland righthander, on the disabled list since May 14 with a strained left oblique, reported no complications a day after throwing 48 pitches in a simulated game. Macha said Harden will throw 60 pitches Friday, and the team will re-evaluate his next step after that.

6/8/2005

Harden threw 15 pitches off a mound on Tuesday without problems, and the Oakland righthander will work a few side sessions and a simulated game in Oakland in the next week or so. After that, Harden would go on a minor league rehab assignment. The tentative target for a return to the A's is a series in Seattle, which begins on June 20.

6/6/2005

Harden, who is on the disabled list with an oblique strain, threw 20 pitches off the front slope of the mound before Oakland's Sunday game against Toronto. He is slated to move up the slope for a throwing sesion on Tuesday, when the A's begin a three-game set in Washington against the Nationals.

Harden, who is on the disabled list with an oblique strain, threw 20 pitches off the front slope of the mound before Oakland's Sunday game against Toronto. He is slated to move up the slope for a throwing session on Tuesday, when the A's begin a three-game set in Washington against the Nationals.

6/1/2005

Harden, who has been out since May 13 with a strained oblique muscle, could begin throwing from the mound by next week. The Oakland righthander continues to long toss in preparation for a stepped-up throwing program. A timetable for Harden isn't in place, and his progress has slowed over the last week.

5/25/2005

Harden played light catch on Tuesday, the first time he has thrown since leaving a game on May 13 with an oblique strain. The Oakland righthander is ahead of Tim Hudson's recovery rate from a similar injury that kept Hudson out for six weeks last season, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Harden went on the 15-day disabled list on May 15.

5/16/2005

The Oakland Athletics placed Harden on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, two days after he strained an oblique muscle in a Friday night loss to the New York Yankees. The 23-year-old righthander will undergo an MRI exam on Monday. Harden, who went just 3.1 innings on Friday, is 2-3 with a 2.80 ERA in seven starts this season.

The A's recalled righthander Seth Etherton to take Harden's roster spot. However, righthander Keiichi Yabu will come out of the A's bullpen to take Harden's rotation assignment this week.

5/14/2005

Harden may be headed to the 15-day disabled list after suffering a strained oblique muscle in Friday's loss to the New York Yankees. Harden, who went just 3.1 innings on Friday, is 2-3 with a 2.80 ERA this season.

If Harden is sidelined, look for Keiichi Yabu to replace him in the A's rotation.

5/3/2005

Harden absorbed his first loss of the 2005 season on Monday, but that didn't keep the promising Oakland righthander from posting his third quality start and first complete game of the new year. Harden went the distance and allowed just six hits, two walks and one earned run in the A's 3-2 loss to Texas. He struck out seven Rangers in the defeat.

For the season, Harden is 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA in five starts. He trails only Chicago's Jon Garland (1.38) in the American League ERA race.

4/22/2005

Harden worked a scoreless start for the second straight time on Thursday, blanking the Seattle Mariners on five hits over seven innings. The outing comes on the heels of eight scoreless frames against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the Oakland righthander has put together 15 straight scoreless innings to lower his ERA for the season to 0.44. He's allowed just one run in three starts, and he's 2-0 with a .203 opponent batting average and 0.95 WHIP.

Harden hasn't received much run support, but so far that hasn't mattered. He looks like a big winner in 2005.

4/8/2005

According to Oakland A's manager Ken Macha, Harden's finger is looking good, and barring any setbacks, the righthander will take the mound against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Sunday as scheduled. Harden, who has been slowed by a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand, will have one more bullpen session on Friday. In six exhibition starts this spring, Harden went 3-1 with a 5.57 ERA. He's struck out 29 batters and walked just five in 21 innings of work.

Harden originally was slated to start on Wednesday, but because of the blister, he was pushed back to Sunday and Kirk Saarloos got the nod instead. He went 11-7 with a 3.99 ERA in 31 games last season.

4/5/2005

Not wanting to take any chances with the blister on the middle finger of Harden's pitching hand, the Oakland A's have pushed back the righthander's first start of the regular season to Sunday at Tampa Bay. Originally slated to take the mound against the Oakland A's on Wednesday, Harden will be replaced by Kirk Saarloos.

The A's are being very cautious with Harden, in hopes of avoiding a lingering problem. In six exhibition starts this spring, Harden went 3-1 with a 5.57 ERA. He's struck out 29 batters and walked just five in 21 innings of work.