NEW YORK -- Left-hander Sean Manaea was activated off the injured list Sunday afternoon and pitched five shutout innings in a 5-4 loss against the Yankees.

It was his first start on a Major League mound since Aug. 24, 2018, after he missed most of the season with a left shoulder injury. He retired the first nine hitters he faced, but Manaea acknowledged after the start that he ran out of gas by the fifth inning. He walked three batters in that frame, though he was able to get out of the jam unscathed.

“That’s all we are looking to get from him. Boy he has to feel good about that,” manager Bob Melvin said.

Manaea was also encouraged by his return to the Major League mound, especially since he was thrust into the fray against one of the best teams in baseball.

“Obviously, the last inning wasn’t great. Getting five shutout innings against [the Yankees] was huge,” Manaea said. “I felt I put the team in a good position to win.

“It felt awesome to be back. Now, it was a long road back. It’s crazy how much has happened since last year. I’m thankful I went through this rehab process with an open mind. I just tried to work on things and get back into playing shape.”

The highlight of Manaea’s career came on April 21, 2018, when he no-hit the Red Sox in Oakland.

On Sunday, the A’s also recalled right-handed pitcher Paul Blackburn and infielder Franklin Barreto from Triple-A Las Vegas, selected catcher Sean Murphy from Las Vegas and reinstated designated hitter Khris Davis from the paternity list.

To clear space on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated infielder Corban Joseph and right-handed pitcher Tanner Anderson for assignment.

Right-hander Mike Fiers, who was scheduled to pitch on Sunday, will get the start on Tuesday when the team returns to Oakland, where he has been most successful. Melvin said he wanted to give Fiers “a couple of days off.”

Profar getting the job done
Athletics second baseman Jurickson Profar has been playing better lately. He has driven in six runs in his last two games, and he acknowledged after Friday’s 8-2 victory over the Yankees that his offense and defense were below average for most of the season.

But things are beginning to turn around for the infielder, and Melvin has taken notice of the improvement on both sides of the ball. In fact, it was Melvin who told Profar earlier in the season that his playing time would be limited, but Profar has weathered the storm by working even harder and showing his commitment to the Athletics, according to Melvin. Profar was in the starting lineup on Saturday against the Yankees.

“It’s been great. He has been really consistent,” Melvin said about Profar. “We have seen spurts this year. When you look up, he has 18 home runs and over 50 RBIs. But it has come in over certain periods. Now it’s consistent at-bats, both right-handed and left-handed. I think he is more confident right now in what he is doing. He is getting big hits. He is getting on base. He is drawing some walks. Good timing as far as his consistency goes offensively.”