Bob Melvin names two A’s to starting spots as injuries plague team

The recent injuries afflicting the A’s rotation make manager Bob Melvin nostalgic for 2003, when he was a first-time big league manager with the Seattle Mariners. Melvin has had to place six of his pitchers on the disabled list this season, some of them multiple times. The latest DL assignment was Sonny Gray, who went onto the 15-day DL Sunday with a forearm sprain. The right-hander appeared in 4 ⅔ innings for Cleveland, giving up three earned runs, but has yet to take the mound for the A’s. Triggs was recalled from the minors August 5 after Jesse Hahn was named to the DL with a strained right shoulder. Stretched thin on defense, the A’s are tasked with holding firm against an Orioles team that currently leads the league in homers. The Orioles’ greatest offensive threat bats third Monday — third baseman Manny Machado has a .307 batting average with 131 hits on the season. Right-hander Kendall Graveman, the only pitcher to avoid serious injury this season, takes the mound Monday with the American League’s sixth highest opponent batting average.