SI.com's Jason Burke suggests that Athletics right-handed pitching prospect Jack Perkins, who is ranked as the team's No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, is a candidate to take right-hander Mitch Spence's No. 5 rotation spot in the second half of the season. Perkins made his MLB debut in relief on June 22 and has mostly piggybacked JP Sears as a relief option out of the bullpen, allowing four earned runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out 11 in 9 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old also picked up his first two career saves. The former fifth-rounder in 2022 had a 2.86 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 68:20 K:BB in 44 innings (nine starts) for Triple-A Las Vegas, and the A's may want to get a look at him in a starting role in the majors to see what exactly they have for next year. Perkins, who features a fastball, slider/sweeper, cutter and changeup, has shown plenty of swing-and-miss stuff.

The Athletics have promoted right-handed pitching prospect Jack Perkins from Triple-A Las Vegas, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. The team also optioned righty Anthony Maldonado to Triple-A and transferred RHP Gunnar Hoglund (hip) to the 60-day injured list. Perkins, MLB Pipeline's ninth-ranked Athletics prospect, has thrived in his first taste of the Triple-A level this season. Despite pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Perkins has posted a 2.86 ERA with a whopping 68 strikeouts against 20 walks over nine starts and 44 innings. The 25-year-old could now factor into an A's rotation that has been among the worst in baseball in 2025. He'll bring some much-needed upside to the group if the A's use him as a starter.

Athletics right-handed pitching prospect Jack Perkins has been one of the most dominant pitchers at Triple-A over the past month and is quickly approaching his MLB debut. Since May 13 (31 2/3 innings), Perkins has struck out an eye-catching 52 batters while posting a 2.27 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP. During this stretch, he has allowed just 12 free passes. Over his last two outings, Perkins has hit the double-digit punchout mark in each start. Last summer, the 25-year-old spent most of his campaign with Double-A, where he posted a solid 2.96 ERA with a 1.4 WHIP across 76 innings of work. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression as he could earn a spot in the Athletics rotation. Given his high strikeout upside, he is worth stashing in deeper 14+ leagues for the time being.

Athletics right-handed pitching prospect Jack Perkins tossed four shutout innings in his season debut on Thursday at Triple-A Las Vegas. The right-hander struck out four batters and allowed three hits. He did not allow a run or a walk. Perkins has been sidelined through the opening month of the campaign due to an undisclosed injury. However, this was a strong debut for the No. 9-ranked prospect in the Athletics system. Last summer, Perkins spent most of his time at the Double-A level, where he logged 76 innings to the tune of a 2.96 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. During this stretch, he struck out 100 batters and served up 35 walks. Fantasy managers should expect the 25-year-old to spend a majority of the campaign at Triple-A, and he could be in the mix for a late-season MLB debut if he continues to show steady progression.