OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s recalled right-handed pitcher Luis Medina and selected right-handed pitcher Zach Neal from Triple-A Las Vegas, the club announced today. The A’s also placed right-handed pitcher Mason Miller on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 8 with tightness in his right forearm and optioned right-handed pitcher Rico Garcia to Las Vegas. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s transferred catcher Manny Piña to the 60-day injured list.
Medina joins the A’s for the second time this year and is scheduled to start tonight against Texas. He was called up for the first time on April 25, started and lost the next day at Los Angeles (AL) in his Major League debut, and was optioned back to Las Vegas on April 27. The 24-year-old right-hander allowed eight runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings for the loss in his debut against the Angels and is also 0-1 with a 7.42 ERA in five games, four starts, with the Aviators.
Neal was signed by the A’s to a minor league contract on April 7 and spent two weeks in extended Spring Training before he was assigned to Las Vegas on April 21. He had no decisions, a 5.56 ERA and .182 opponents batting average in three games, including two starts with the Aviators. The 34-year-old right-hander walked five and struck out 11 in 11.1 innings. Neal made his Major League debut with Oakland in 2016 and is 2-4 with two saves and a 4.94 ERA in 31 games, including six starts, in three seasons with the A’s (2016-17) and Dodgers (2018). He also pitched in Japan from 2019-21.
Miller made his Major League debut on April 19 and is 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA and .551 opponents OPS in four starts with the A’s. Garcia was selected from Las Vegas a week ago today and pitched in three games for Oakland, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks in 3.0 innings while striking out one. Piña began the season on the injured list with a sprained left wrist and was 7-for-22 (.318) with three home runs and nine RBI on a seven-game rehab assignment with Single-A Stockton and Triple-A Las Vegas before his rehab was halted on May 3.
