New acquisition Brooks to get start vs. Tribe
Prospect A's received in Kazmir trade will get callup on Saturday
LOS ANGELES -- The A's will turn to one of their many new acquisitions to fill the hole left by Scott Kazmir in their rotation, opting to promote right-hander Aaron Brooks come Saturday for a home start against the Indians.
"It looks like we got two really good arms," A's manager Bob Melvin said, referring to Brooks and Sean Manaea, who were acquired from the Royals for Ben Zobrist. "It's a great opportunity for a guy who was pitching in the Minor Leagues to come up and pitch here, and it looks like he commands the baseball well and has a good mix of pitches.
"I talked to him briefly today, and he's pretty excited about it."
The decision to bring up Brooks wipes away any speculation involving the potential promotion of Barry Zito, who is 6-7 with a 3.74 ERA in 21 games for Triple-A Nashville, as he looks to revive his career. It was also made in conjunction with the decision to keep left-hander Drew Pomeranz in the bullpen rather than try him out in the rotation again.
Brooks has spent the majority of the season at Triple-A Omaha, where he was 6-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 18 games, 17 of them starts. He made two appearances with Kansas City, allowing three runs in a combined 4 1/3 innings, and also pitched in two games for the Royals last year.
"Brooks can go out there and get the job done, he just needed an opportunity," said former Royal Billy Butler. "He's going to have a shot here for sure."
Worth noting
• Corner infielder Max Muncy returned from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday to take the roster spot of Zobrist. He hit .203 with two home runs and six RBIs in 34 games in his first stint with Oakland this season.