Oakland A’s activate Brett Anderson from disabled list

The Oakland A’s activated Brett Anderson from the disabled list on Thursday, the team announced. He is scheduled to start the evening’s game against the Orioles.

We last saw Anderson in late August, when he landed on the DL with what turned out to be nerve irritation in his forearm. It was his second stint on the DL this season, after previously missing a couple months with a shoulder injury.

The lefty was on a roll before he went down this time, enjoying a span of four starts in which he allowed just two total earned runs in 26⅔ innings. However, he got knocked around in his last outing when the forearm flared up. Overall he’s been a serviceable starter this year, making 13 starts and pitching well more often than not.

Anderson, 2018: 4.02 ERA, 65 ip, 34 Ks, 12 BB, 7 HR, 4.16 FIP

His return comes not a moment too soon for the A’s, whose rotation continues to fall apart due to injuries. The team recently learned that Sean Manaea officially won’t be back this year, and now Trevor Cahill will also miss time with a back problem, reports Susan Slusser of the S.F. Chronicle. Anderson joins the healthy arms of Mike Fiers and Edwin Jackson, all while Daniel Mengden, Chris Bassitt, and Frankie Montas serve as the long-men in bullpen games.

Looking ahead, Anderson will go Thursday in the Baltimore finale, followed by Jackson in the first game in Tampa Bay. Then Saturday will be a bullpen game in place of Cahill, with Fiers taking the last matchup with the Rays on Sunday. Monday is an off-day as they travel home.

Here’s the updated roster, which now includes 38 active players, one on the DL, and one prospect holding back in Triple-A. There are 22 pitchers on the team right now.

10-day DL: LHP Brett Anderson (forearm), LHP Sean Manaea (shoulder)

60-day DL: RHP Paul Blackburn (elbow), RHP Jharel Cotton (TJS), RHP Daniel Gossett (TJS), RHP Kendall Graveman (TJS), RHP Andrew Triggs (triceps/nerve), OF Jake Smolinski (blood clot)