- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
A’s tab Neal as rotation replacement for Gray
- Updated: May 23, 2016
SEATTLE — The A’s took care of one piece of business Monday when they announced that they will start Zach Neal on Wednesday against the Mariners.
Neal, a 27-year-old right-hander, will replace injured Sonny Gray in the starting rotation for now. Gray was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right trapezius muscle on Sunday. Neal made his Major League debut on May 11 for Oakland as a spot reliever. Otherwise, he’s been doing well at Triple-A Nashville, with a 5-1 record and a 2.53 in seven starts.
“He’s been here and we were impressed with what we saw,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said Monday prior to the first of a three-game series against the Mariners in Safeco Field. “And he’s been pitching well.”
Neal threw three innings of mop-up duty that day at Fenway Park, giving up three runs on four hits in three innings while striking out two and not walking a batter.
“That can be a place that can be tough for your Major League debut, to go out there and pitch, and he gave us three innings,” Melvin said. “He was aggressive, we like the movement on his fastball and his complement of pitches, and … we rely on our people in development to have input on that, and Zach Neal’s our guy.”
Melvin said he didn’t want to speculate how long Neal might fill in for Gray, …
continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com
