A's right-hander A.J. Griffin is headed to the DL. (Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE)
The Oakland Athletics placed right-hander A.J. Griffin on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder tightness, CSN Bay Area reported Sunday.
Griffin left Saturday night’s game in the second inning when he started experiencing the tightness in his throwing shoulder. An MRI came back negative, but the A’s reportedly want to be cautious with him.
The A’s recalled relief pitchers Evan Scribner and Pedro Figueroa from Class AAA Sacramento. They also optioned outfielder Michael Taylor back to Sacramento.
Griffin is 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in eight starts for Oakland.
— Rays third baseman Evan Longoria made his eighth minor league rehab start on Sunday, and he could return to the Rays as soon as Tuesday, MLB.com reported.
Longoria has been out since April 30 with a partially torn left hamstring, and he has struggled in his rehab assignment with the Triple-A Durham Bulls. He is just 4-for-27 with six walks and 2 RBIs. All his appearances have been as a designated hitter, and he likely to remain a designated hitter for a while after he returns to the Rays
He will be re-evaluated by the Rays on Monday, and it’s possible he could be back for the team’s series against the Blue Jays, which starts Tuesday.
— Detroit Tigers right-hander Doug Fister had a perfect game broken up in the sixth inning and went on to toss a four-hit complete game in a 6-1 victory over the visiting Cleveland Indians on Saturday.
Fister and his teammates disagreed over who deserved the most credit for the gem.
Fister insisted it was his teammates who allowed him to succeed.
“Defense,” he told MLB.com. “From Austin (Jackson) in the outfield to ground balls in the infield, that’s the name of the game, not to mention our offense came out smoking.”
–The Detroit Tigers placed second baseman Ryan Raburn on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right thumb, MLB.com reported Sunday.
Detroit called up second baseman Danny Worth from Class AAA Toledo to take Raburn’s spot.
Raburn has struggled with a .172 batting average in 198 at-bats this season. Worth has 65 at-bats with Detroit this season, with a .215 average.
–The Cleveland Indians designated right-handed reliever Jeremy Accardo for assignment and promoted left-hander Chris Seddon from Class AAA Columbus, the club announced Saturday.
Accardo went 0-0 with a 4.58 ERA in 26 relief appearances for the Indians this season. Seddon, 28, has gone 11-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 20 starts for the Clippers this year. Seddon will start today’s game against the Detroit Tigers, his first major league appearance in nearly two years.
–The Cubs called up top prospects Brett Jackson and Josh Vitters before Sunday’s game at the Los Angeles Dodgers, ESPN Chicago reported.
Jackson will start in center field and hit second while shortstop Starlin Castro moves down to No. 5 in the lineup, according to MLB.com.
The club added the pair to the roster after trading infielder Jeff Baker to the Detroit Tigers for two players to be named later and sent outfielder Tony Campana to Class AAA Iowa.
–The Minnesota Twins traded third baseman Danny Valencia to the Boston Red Sox for minor league outfielder Jeremias Pineda, MLB.com reported Sunday.
The Red Sox optioned Valencia, 27, to Class AAA Pawtucket. Pineda will join the Twins’ rookie ball team in the Gulf Coast League.
Valencia hit .198 with two home runs and 17 RBI in 34 games for Minnesota.
Pineda, 21, hit .421 with 22 RBI in 36 games for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox this season. He is a switch-hitter who can play all three outfield positions.
— Andy Pettitte was scheduled to have X-rays on his fractured left ankle on Sunday.
While tests on the ankle after two weeks were mostly positive, Pettitte said the four-week check-in on July 27 didn’t go as well as the doctors were hoping.
Swelling around the ankle was causing Pettitte discomfort in Seattle, and it’s still bothersome when he walks.
—Chicago White Sox pitcher Francisco Liriano left Sunday’s game against the Angels innings because of a right quad contusion.
Liriano was struck by a Maicer Izturis grounder leading off the fifth. Liriano made it through the inning, giving up just one run.
— Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka and reliever Andrew Bailey each made Minor League rehab appearances on Sunday.
Matsuzaka pitched three-plus innings in his second rehab start with Triple-A Pawtucket. He allowed four runs (one earned) on five hits against Lehigh Valley. He struck out three against one walk and threw 75 pitches, an increase from his 47-pitch outing on Monday. He is recovering from a right upper trapezius strain.
Bailey made his third rehab appearance, this time with Double-A Portland. His previous two outings came with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox. He is recovering from thumb surgery.
—Yankees manager Joe Girardi said the team might bring Brett Gardner back in a limited role when rosters expand in September.
He recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow, suggesting his season was over. But Gardner said he thinks he can still come back and contribute at some point this season.
— The White Sox are unlikely to pick up Kevin Youkilis’ $13 million option at the end of the season, the Boston Globe reported.
Since coming over to the White Sox, Youkilis has hit .256.
— Texas Rangers pitcher Roy Oswalt is not pleased about being moved to thebullpen.
“I’m a starter,” Oswalt told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I’m not really a bullpen guy.
“Well, I mean we’re 4-2 in the games I started. I guess I should’ve been 6-0. Two bad ones and won four of them so … I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes.”
