
OAKLAND – The A's demoted struggling left-handed reliever Ryan Buchter to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday and recalled right-hander Ryan Dull to take his place on the active roster.
Buchter, 32, has given up six earned runs in 7 2/3 innings this season for an ERA of 7.04. He has already allowed 12 hits and seven walks, though he has recorded 12 strikeouts.
"He's just been struggling some," A's manager Bob Melvin said Monday. "This is a guy we're really going to need, so I think, for the most part, this is go down and work on some things you need to work on and get your confidence back. When he's on, he's not just a left-handed bullpen guy, he's a good one. We saw that last year. We just need to get it straightened out a little bit. I have no doubt he'll be back here at some point."
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Dull, 29, returns to the majors after pitching in the A's season opener in Tokyo. He allowed three earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning against the Mariners in that game but has been dominant in Triple-A. In six appearances with Las Vegas, Dull has tossed 9 2/3 scoreless innings, notching 14 strikeouts against two walks.
"He's been throwing great," Melvin said. "When he's performing well, not only are we not afraid to use him at any time, but we've also been known to bring him in with some guys on base, which is sometimes a difficult thing to do and he handles that really well."
After spending a month in the minors, Dull said he is excited for another opportunity at the big-league level.
"It's awesome just being back up here," he said. (I want) to help contribute in any way I can and just do whatever I'm asked to do."
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With Dull in the bullpen, the A's relievers all have one thing in common. The move leaves Oakland without a single lefty in its 'pen, but Melvin is confident he has enough right-handers who can retire left-handed hitters.
"You just go with your best matchups right-on-left," he explained. "(The Rangers are) a team that has a lot of left-handed hitters, so maybe the timing's not great, but we feel like we have some guys down there who can get left-handers out."