The move makes him a free agent. Rucinski’s career failed to really get off the ground in America before heading to the KBO in his early 30s. He made 121 starts over the course of four seasons in Korea, striking out 657 hitters along the way to catch the eye of the Athletics. His return to the States did not go as planned as he was plagued with injuries in 2023, making just seven starts across Triple-A and the big leagues before shutting things down and undergoing back surgery. Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 reported that he’s expected to miss a portion of the 2024 campaign as well, but he could be a nice low-cost, high-upside option for any team looking to take a shot on him.

The 34-year-old has been shelved since May due to his injuries. He registered a a 9.00 ERA, 2.28 WHIP and a cringe-inducing 6/14 K/BB ratio across 18 innings in his four starts with the Athletics.

The 34-year-old hurler is already stationed on the 60-day injured list and it’s starting to look awfully unlikely that he’ll return this season. Rucinski went 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA, 2.28 WHIP and a cringe-inducing 6/14 K/BB ratio across 18 innings in his four starts with the Athletics.

The procedural move opens up a spot on Oakland's 40-man roster and rules Rucinski out until at least mid-August as he continues to recover from a stomach illness.