Athletics' Adrian Martinez: Long-relief assignment in return

Martinez, recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day, allowed two earned runs on four hits and three walks over 4.2 innings during a loss to the Rangers on Tuesday. He recorded five strikeouts and did not factor into the decision.

The young right-hander was afforded an 82-pitch assignment right out of the gate in his first taste of major-league action since May 26. Martinez ate up some valuable innings in the process, getting all but the last out of the night for the Athletics after starter JP Sears exited following four laborious frames. Martinez is slotting into a bullpen role for the time being, but as the length of Tuesday's appearance indicates, he's capable of serving in a bulk-relief capacity or even moving into the rotation if necessary.