Oakland A’s demote Jesse Hahn to Triple-A; call up Max Muncy & Zach Neal; one roster spot open

The Oakland Athletics have optioned starting pitcher Jesse Hahn to Triple-A Nashville. They have recalled corner infielder-outfielder Max Muncy and left-handed pitcher Zach Neal. The active roster remains at 24, however, with one spot to fill after the club also placed Rich Hill on the disabled list and traded away Chris Coghlan.

It’s not yet known whether Neal is being called up to join the rotation, and he is listed on Friday's lineup card as available out of the bullpen. Some intrigue also exists in the Triple-A transactions: Daniel Mengden was scheduled to start for the Nashville Sounds on Saturday, but Oakland’s 20th round draft pick in 2015, James Naile, tweets that he is being called up to the Nashville Sounds from the Beloit Snappers to pitch Saturday.

There was a Nashville doubleheader on Thursday, but the Sounds pitched a bullpen game in the second game, avoiding the need for a sixth starter.

I’ve been looking at the 10-day rule for optional assignments, and I can read it like the A’s can call still use the disabled list exception to recall Eric Surkamp (otherwise eligible on 6/12), Andrew Triggs (6/14), or J.B. Wendelken (6/15). Effectively, the other two call ups replace Coghlan and Hahn while Hill has not been replaced.

The A's will need a fourth starter by June 13 and a fifth starter by June 14. We don’t have information yet on the results of Rich Hill’s MRI nor whether he will take the June 14 start. What I'm fairly certain of is this, out of Zach Neal, Daniel Mengden, Rich Hill, and Eric Surkamp, two of them will start on the 13th and 14th.

Jesse Hahn has gone through a pair of extremely poor starts, and before that has had trouble with allowing free passes and hardly striking anybody out. In 34 2/3 innings, he owns a 6.49 ERA with 15 walks, 16 strikeouts, and six home runs allowed.

The A’s are listing Max Muncy in Friday’s lineup against the Cincinnati Reds in right field, the first day after the A's traded Chris Coghlan to the Chicago Cubs. Danny Valencia and Khris Davis also return.