The Oakland Athletics have begun their expected changes leading up to the trade deadline, sending the left-hander Scott Kazmir to his hometown Houston Astros on Thursday for a pair of Class-A minor leaguers, the right-handed pitcher Daniel Mengden and catcher Jacob Nottingham. Kazmir went 5-5 with a 2.38 E.R.A. in 18 starts for Oakland.
The A’s made the announcement ahead of their afternoon series finale against Toronto, so instead of Kazmir starting against the Blue Jays, he was saying his goodbyes in the clubhouse. His replacement, Drew Pomeranz, allowed two runs before being pulled after 12/3 innings in a 5-2 loss.