ANAHEIM – Three games isn’t much of a sample size, but it’s all the A’s had to offer Raul Alcantara, who was designated for assignment Tuesday as Oakland recalled veteran pitcher Cesar Valdez.
“We still feel like he’s got a nice future ahead of him,” manager Bob Melvin said. “But once you get a few outings where things are not going in the right direction and you couple that with sitting around for four or five, six or seven days and going through some struggles, it probably precludes him from performing the way we know he can.”
Alcantara began the season in the A’s rotation, but in his first start allowed eight runs in two innings, at which point he was moved into the long relief role.