I touched base this morning with Arkansas pitcher Mike Bolsinger, a 33rd-round draft pick of the Oakland Athletics. And when asked about signing with the A’s or returning for his senior season, the 6-foot-2 right-hander said, “I’ll probably be coming back to Arkansas.”

Bolsinger made a couple of starts this summer for the McKinney Marshals of the Texas Collegiate League, hoping to convince several A’s scouts he was worth more money than Oakland offered. The A’s haven’t upped their offer — not yet, anyway.

The A’s still could do so on August 17, the date of the MLB signing deadline, Bolsinger said. And while he still envisions a scenario in which he signs, he isn’t counting on that happening.

“If anything happens, it will happen on that last day,” Bolsinger said by phone from Texas. “I think they want to see what they’re going to do with some of the guys they picked ahead of me. If some of them don’t sign, they could give me the money I was asking for. If not, I’ll be coming back.”

It’s been a tough last couple of weeks for Bolsinger, who went 6-4 last season with a 2.99 ERA and a team-high 79 strikeouts. While at a Texas Rangers game with several friends, Bolsinger complained about a sharp pain in his side. They left the game early, but the pain only worsened.

When he got home, Bolsinger told his mother that they should go to the hospital. The prognosis: His appendix had burst. Bolsinger had it removed and spent nearly a week “taking it real easy.”

“I’m feeling a lot better,” he said. “I got back to working out late last week.”

Bolsinger also said the prospect of playing one more season for Arkansas wasn’t disappointing at all, saying he hoped to claim a spot in the Razorbacks’ rotation.

“I definitely would want to start, and Coach (Dave) Van Horn has talked to me about it,” Bolsinger said. “They like the experience I’ve gotten and think I could maybe become the Friday night starter. That’s what I’d be working for if I do come back up there.”