SEATTLE -- Right-handed relief pitcher Emilio Pagan couldn't get enough key outs to stay with the Athletics much past April.
A key acquisition in the team's offseason trade with Seattle for first baseman Ryon Healy, Pagan, 26, was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday afternoon to make room for Brett Anderson, who started Wednesday's game vs. Seattle.
Pagan has been scored upon in eight of his 12 appearances this season and has a 5.93 ERA.
"We like his arm, and we feel like he is going to be a big part of this for us going forward," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "[We want to] just give him a little bit of a break to go down there and work on some things, and get back here."
Last season, the South Carolina native ended his rookie campaign with the Mariners with a 3.22 ERA, pitching shut-out baseball in 22 of his 34 appearances.
In mid-November, the Athletics traded Healy for Pagan and Venezuelan teenage shortstop Alexander Campos.
Pagan started the season by giving up an earned run in back-to-back starts against the Angels to close out March. In his past six outings in April, Pagan surrendered at least an earned run -- including four home runs during that seven-inning stretch. His most recent appearance came Saturday in Houston, in which he gave up a run on two hits and two walks in the Athletics' 11-0 loss.
Melvin wants Pagan to work on fastball location and throwing breaking pitches for strikes while being behind in the count.
"Nobody wants to go down [to the Minors]," Melvin said. "He accepts it. He's going to go down and work hard. He is a hard-working kid. We envision him being a guy that pitches in games where we are ahead, and we still feel that way. He just got off to a little bit of a slow start."
Super villain?
At first pitch of the Oakland-Mariners game Tuesday night, it was 61 degrees. That did not stop outfielder Mark Canha from layering up like it was about to snow.
Canha played the entire Mariners' 6-3 victory with a black-colored undershirt, and ski mask that covered his mouth and cheeks.
The outfit drew a chuckle from teammate Matt Chapman on Wednesday.
"I think Mark just wants to be some sort of super villain," Chapman said. "I can't tell if he looks like a bank robber or a mannequin."
Canha said he might be more sensitive to varying temperatures than most people.
"Seattle in April can be a little rough," Canha said. "You deal with it any way you can. I am a guy, I do layers. I am really uncomfortable playing cold."
Iron man
Before the season, Chapman said he went to Melvin to say he wanted to play in all 162 games.
Is that feasible?
"I don't know if we envision anybody playing 162 [games] here, but if anybody has the ability … there is no doubt in my mind he could do it," Melvin said.
On Wednesday, Chapman played in his 110th consecutive game, dating back to last season. It is the longest streak on the team.
"Something I've always wanted to do is play every day," Chapman said. "I have the ability to. There is no better way to learn to play every day than playing every day."