"I know, I know, you've read it all before and you're tired of it, but today's news is that Rich Harden, who'd been slated to throw off the mound tomorrow, instead has been shut down because of continued lat muscle discomfort. He's being sent to see Dr. Doug Freedberg.

So there goes any shot at all at an Opening Day roster spot, including in the bullpen. Nobody's officially saying that, but Harden hasn't pitched off the mound in a month and the A's break camp in less than two weeks. It will be interesting to see what the plan is with Harden when he returns to full health - I'd guess getting him stretched out, because fifth-starter front-runner Brandon McCarthy also has a long injury history. When the A's signed both the same week during the winter, many people felt it was a "maybe between the two of them, we'll have one healthy guy" kind of move. That's a little cynical, perhaps, but both are good options when they are sound."