Per the San Francisco Chronicle and confirmed by A’s, Oakland has called up Paul Blackburn from AAA Nashville. The righty will make his Major League debut today against the Atlanta Braves.
A's officially call up Paul Blackburn, RHP Josh Smith optioned back to Nashville.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) July 1, 2017
Blackburn will take Jharel Cotton’s spot in the rotation. Cotton has been dealing with a lingering blister issue, unable to make his scheduled start. To make room for Blackburn on the 25-man roster, the A’s optioned Josh Smith back to AAA.