Oakland A's outfielder Coco Crisp will be placed on disabled list to activate Kendall Graveman

The Athletics will place Coco Crisp on the disabled list before Saturday's day game with an injured neck, retroactive to May 20, manager Bob Melvin told beat reporters (Susan Slusser tweets). The A's will activate Kendall Graveman to start in Drew Pomeranz's place in the rotation. Graveman is already with the team, he arrived on Friday.

Crisp will not have surgery for the simple reason that neck surgery would end his career, writes the Bay Area News Group's John Hickey, who details exactly what that surgery would require. Instead, he will have to get the same course of treatment as he did during his extended absences last year, rest and rehab. He may also receive trigger point therapy, Hickey writes.

Kendall Graveman returns to the rotation Saturday. With the big league club, he struggled to the tune of an 8.27 ERA in four starts for the A's after a brilliant spring. In four starts for the Nashville Sounds, however, Graveman has a 1.85 ERA in 24⅓ innings with 14 strikeouts and nine walks.