Athletics place RHP Estrada (back) on IL

Estrada served up two homers and lasted just 3 1/3 innings Tuesday in
Oakland's 9-1 loss to the Houston Astros. He gave up seven runs on five hits
and three walks.

In his previous outing against the Baltimore Orioles, Estrada allowed six runs
and nine hits in four innings of a 12-4 setback. He gave up two homers in that
contest.

"I was kind of hoping for a miracle that it would just go away," Estrada told
reporters regarding his back prior to the Athletics' Wednesday game against
the Astros. "I don't want to go on the IL, but I know it's the right decision.
It's something I need to get taken care of. I'm only going to hurt the team
pitching this way."

Estrada, who is 0-2 with a 6.85 ERA in five starts, is scheduled to visit a
specialist on Friday. He is hopeful treatment and rest will help so he will
miss only one start.

"It's probably going to be a manage thing for him," Athletics manager Bob
Melvin told reporters. "It's something that hasn't gone away. Keeping him as
healthy as we possibly can will be important, and when it flares up in the
fashion it did after last night's game, it just doesn't make any sense to run
him out there."

Oakland recalled right-hander Chris Bassitt from Triple-A Las Vegas to fill
the roster opening. Bassitt had a 3.27 ERA in three minor league starts across
two levels this season.

Bassitt, 30, went 2-3 with a 3.02 ERA in 11 appearances (seven starts) with
the Athletics last season. Overall he is 4-14 with a 3.86 ERA in 40 career
appearances (30 starts) since first reaching the majors with the Chicago White
Sox in 2014.

--Field Level Media