The Athletics made a change of right-handers on their pitching staff, recalling Joey Estes from their Las Vegas affiliate and optioning Kade Morris to the Triple-A club.
Estes, 24, went 2-6 with a 5.95 ERA in 12 starts for Las Vegas this season. He struck out 39 and walked 38 in 59 innings.
Last year, Estes made two early-season starts and one midseason relief appearance for the Athletics, going 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA.
Across parts of three major league seasons, all with the A’s, Estes owns a 7-12 record and a 5.51 ERA. He has fanned 105 and walked 35 in 148 2/3 innings.
Morris, a 23-year-old rookie, was rocked by the Astros on Saturday in his major league debut. In four-plus innings, he allowed nine runs on nine hits, three of them homers. Morris struck out four and walked three, taking the loss as the Athletics fell 13-3 in Houston. He hasn’t pitched since.
The moves involving the Las Vegas affiliate come as the A’s are in the midst of playing a series in the minor league park in Sin City against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Athletics are building a stadium in Las Vegas and plan to move there from their temporary home of West Sacramento, Calif., in 2028
