Mason Miller Promoted to Triple-A

Mason Miller (#4 prospect) got the ball for the Double-A Midland RockHounds on April 7, tossed 3.2 innings, gave up two hits, two runs (two solo homers), didn't allow a walk, and struck out eight.

The A's saw that and said "Yep. He's still good," and promoted him to Triple-A Las Vegas ahead of Tuesday's game. The Aviators have not announced when his next start will be.

Drew Rucinski is slated to make his first rehab appearances with the Aviators on Wednesday after being placed on the IL with left hamstring tightness to begin the 2023 season. He'll be on a three inning, 45 pitch limit.

Luis Medina was placed on the Temporarily Inactive List per the team website. Athletics Farm is reporting that Medina will be away from the club for a few days to deal with a family issue.

As for the actual action on the field on Tuesday, Paul Blackburn made his rehab start and the results were a lot better than when he pitched in Stockton last week. Blackburn went 3 scoreless innings, gave up 2 hits, and didn't walk or strike out anybody. He left with a 4-0 lead.

Colton Eastman made his second appearance as a member of the A's organization after signing a minor league deal at the end of March, and so far the story of his season has been unearned runs.

Eastman went 2.2 innings on Tuesday, gave up 4 hits, 7 runs (2 ER), walked 3 and struck out 5. The Salt Lake Bees (Angels affiliate) stung for six runs in the fifth inning, and that ended up being the difference in the game. The error came on a sacrifice bunt that second baseman Jordan Díaz didn't catch, which loaded the bases with Bees. After a single, a strikeout, a fielder's choice, and another strikeout, there were two outs with the bases still loaded. Trey Cabbage unloaded the bases with a grand slam.

In two games this season, Eastman has allowed 12 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks, but only 4 of those runs have been earned.

The Aviators lost this one 11-5, dropping them to 2-8.

Rico Garcia pitched a scoreless ninth. Dérmis Garcia went 2-for-5 with two rbi.

Midland Rides 6-run 7th to Third Straight Win

Down 6-4 entering the bottom of the 7th, Midland scored two quick runs to tie the game on an rbi singles from Michael Guldberg and Lawrence Butler. Greg Deichmann added an rbi single of his own, and Cooper Bowman drove home two with his single. With runners at second and third, the 'Hounds scored their sixth run of the inning on a balk by the pitcher. Shane McGuire, who started the inning with a double, ended the inning with a fly out to left.

Tulsa (Dodgers affiliate) would score two in the top of the ninth, but it wouldn't be enough in this one. Midland 10, Tulsa 8.

Royber Salinas (Sean Murphy trade) got the start for the A's affiliate, going 2.1 innings, giving up 4 hits and 3 ER, while striking out 6. After getting the first batter of the game to strike out, Salinas gave up a double, a single, and a home run, leading to three quick runs for the Drillers. After that, he allowed just one single and recorded just one out that wasn't via strikeout.

Max Schuemann (2018 Draft, 20th Round) went 2-for-5 with his first homer and his first double of the season.

Brett Harris (2021 Draft, 7th Round) went 2-for-3 with a walk to bump his average to .385 in the early going. He has at least one hit in all four games this season and has drawn a walk in three of the four.

Lawrence Butler went 2-for-5 with a couple of singles, an rbi, and two runs scored.

Lansing Remains Undefeated

Max Muncy (2021 Draft, 1st Round) is off to a hot start in Lansing, and it continued on Tuesday night. He went 1-for-3 with a walk, 2 rbi, and a run scored, and is now batting .438 through four games. He also picked up his first stolen base of 2023.

Christian Fernandez got his first start of the season and turned in 4.1 scoreless frames, giving up just 3 hits while striking out 6.

Kumar Nambiar (2019, 34th) earned the victory in this one, going 1.2 scoreless innings and giving up just one hit.

Caeden Trenkle (2022, 9th) went 4-for-5 from the leadoff spot with a double and three singles, driving in one and scoring once.

The 5-2 win pushes Lansing to 4-0 on the young season.

Stockton Earn First Win

The Ports built up a 5-0 lead after five on a Jose Mujica two rbi single, followed by a Robert Puason rbi double in the fourth. In the fifth, Clark Elliott (2022, Pick 69) tripled home a pair.

Jose Dicochea (2019, 8th) got the start and went four scoreless, giving up just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 5. He totaled 5.2 innings for Stockton last season and gave up 10 runs and walked 9, so his performance on Tuesday has to be a confidence builder.

Garrett Irvin got the win in this one, tossing 2 innings, giving up 2 hits, 1 ER, and striking out 3.

Brennan Milone (2022, 6th) went 2-for-4 with a walk, and was one of only two Ports to not strike out in this one. Mujica was the other. Stockton struck out 13 times.