Notes: Montas injury; Laureano appeal heard

The A’s scratched Frankie Montas from his scheduled start on Friday in San Francisco due to upper back tightness.

The back issue follows an impressive week that earned Montas American League Player of the Week honors after going 2-0 with 14 strikeouts and one run allowed in 14 innings. Rookie left-hander Jesús Luzardo got the start against the Giants in Montas’ place, pitching on regular four days' rest because the A’s were off on Thursday.

Manager Bob Melvin said the back issue popped up on Friday morning when Montas experienced discomfort that spanned from his upper back to his lower neck area. Montas is not believed to require a stint on the injured list.

“I think he’s making some progress there,” Melvin said before Friday’s series opener. “I’ll probably get an update after batting practice. He felt [the tightness] a tiny bit yesterday during the off-day.”

Montas is off to a strong start as the anchor to the A’s starting rotation this season. He is 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA over four starts, while striking out 22 batters and walking just nine in 23 innings.

Laureano’s suspension reduced
The A’s confirmed on Friday that Ramón Laureano’s suspension stemming from the incident that took place last week against the Astros was reduced from six games to four.

Laureano, whose suspension was handed down by Major League Baseball after a benches-clearing scuffle was sparked after he argued with Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron and charged the Houston dugout on Aug. 9, appealed the discipline and was able to play in Oakland's three games that followed the incident. His suspension began on Friday.

Laureano is eligible to return on Tuesday for the second game of a two-game road series against the D-backs. In the meantime, his spot in the outfield will be filled by Mark Canha, who was the starting center fielder for Friday night’s game against the Giants.

“It means we’re only down four games with him,” Melvin said of Laureano. “He’s able to work out before, just can’t be around during the game. Any kind of reduction, we would have been happy with. It’s something we have to deal with, but we’re fairly well-covered in the outfield. It’s always tough to lose a guy like him.”

Laureano has been a key part of the A’s rise to the best record (13-6) in the American League entering Friday night, slashing .262/.398/.462 with three home runs, 12 RBIs and 11 runs scored through 19 games.

Weems optioned to San Jose
The A’s reinstated Jordan Weems from the 10-day injured list on Friday afternoon and optioned him to the club’s alternate training site in San Jose. Weems made his Major League debut this season and posted a 3.60 ERA over two appearances before landing on the IL with a strained right lat muscle.