A's call up right-handed prospect Gray

PITTSBURGH -- For the second time this week, the A's are calling up a former first-round Draft pick.

After promoting 2009 first-rounder Grant Green on Monday, the A's are expected to be joined in Pittsburgh on Wednesday by right-handed pitching prospect Sonny Gray, their first-round selection in 2011.

In 16 starts with Triple-A Sacramento, Gray is 8-5 with a 2.81 ERA and 107 strikeouts next to just 34 walks in 102 1/3 innings.

The 23-year-old hurler, scratched from his start with the River Cats on Tuesday, will be used out of the bullpen, manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday night, when the team optioned starter Dan Straily to Sacramento. It remains to be seen in what capacity, though.

"That depends," Melvin said. "You always like to try to give him a little bit of a soft landing, and then when you say that you end up bringing him in with the bases loaded and nobody out, but we'll see. It's going to have to be a feel type of thing. We wouldn't be bringing him up here if we didn't think he could contribute in a role that's fairly prominent. He gets his feet wet for the first time at the big league level, and we need an extra arm. It'll be good to see him and good to see him perform at a prominent level."

"It's awesome," Straily said. "He's a good friend, and he's definitely ready. He's going to come up here and hopefully not be too nervous and do his thing. He's a really good pitcher, obviously a first-round talent."