Brett Anderson starting Tuesday, Straily optioned

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Programming note: Twins-As coverage gets underway at 6:30 p.m. with As Pregame Live, and baseball follows from the Coliseum on Comcast SportsNet California!OAKLAND -- It will be a moment 442 days in the making. After ulnar collateral ligament replacement, pain, X-Rays, MRIs, countless hours of rehab spent being poked and prodded in various ways, range of motion exercises, stretching, and throwing under careful watch -- the time has come.
Brett Anderson will be returning to pitch in a Major League game on Tuesday for the first time since June 5, 2011 as Kate Longworth first reported yesterday. reported It will surely be a special moment for the 24-year-old starting pitcher.

REWIND: Sources -- A's to call up Brett Anderson for Tuesday start
Anderson was one of the A's most promising pitchers before undergoing "Tommy John" surgery on July 15, 2011. After six rehab starts and many side sessions it appears Anderson has regained the form that lead to the hype that surrounding him as he earned a 3.66 ERA in his first three big-league seasons. Anderson's fastball has been clocked around 94-mph. His slider, a pitch he calls his "bread and butter pitch" is biting and stumping hitters once again. In his final rehab start Anderson struck out a season-high seven hitters. He says most of those strikeouts came as a result of his slider. Anderson used the time off after the surgery to commit himself to getting in the best playing shape of his career. He has lost 25-pounds and looks noticeably thinner. It will be interesting to see how his improved physique helps him on the mound. His stamina should be greatly improved. The Oakland Athletics have a 3.49 team ERA, which ranks second in the American League. Adding Anderson to an already stacked pitching staff provides the A's with an embarrassment of pitching riches. It also made the decision who to remove from the rotation with Anderson's return very difficult.The odd-man out ended up being rookie starting pitcher Dan Straily. The A's have won all three of the games he's started. He'll likely return to the team when rosters expand on September 1. Straily, 23, is 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA and 12 strikeouts in three starts since joining the A's. He leads all of professional baseball with 197 strikeouts this season (108 in Double-A, 67 in Triple-A, 12 in MLB).To make room on the A's 40-man roster they designated catcher Anthony Recker for assignment.

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