Athletics placed RHP A.J. Griffin on the 15-day disabled list with a right shoulder injury.

Griffin's shoulder injury isn't considered to be a big deal, but the A's can afford to play things safe with their pitching depth. The young right-hander should be ready to return later this month. Brandon McCarthy (shoulder) figures to be activated from the DL later this week to take Griffin's spot in the rotation.

Even though an MRI on his right shoulder came back clean, A.J. Griffin could still be placed on the disabled list.

The A's have an abundance of starting pitching, so they can afford to play it safe with Griffin. The rookie right-hander had a similar issue with his shoulder in college and wound up missing just a week off action. Brandon McCarthy (shoulder) tossed nine shutout innings in a rehab start Saturday and would be an obvious choice to take Griffin's rotation spot.

An MRI taken Saturday evening on A.J. Griffin's right shoulder ruled out major structural damage.

It's encouraging news for the young right-hander, who was removed from Saturday's game in the second inning because of shoulder tightness. Grffin will be reevaluated early next week before a decision is made about his next scheduled outing.

A.J. Griffin left Saturday's game against the Blue Jays because of tightness in his right shoulder.

The A's certainly have enough pitching depth to cover for a potential injury, but Griffin has been exceptional and would obviously be a major loss. If he needs a disabled list stint, Travis Blackley could slid back into a starting role. Also, Brandon McCarthy is close to returning.

A.J. Griffin was removed from Saturday's game against the Blue Jays after 1 2/3 innings due to an injury.

Griffin's velocity on his fastball plummeted to 83 mph on consecutive pitches, so catcher George Kottaras went out to check on him. Soon after, A's manager Bob Melvin and the team trainer joined them at the mound, and Griffin was removed from the game. The 24-year-old right-hander has enjoyed a tremendous season to this point, going 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA over 44 2/3 innings. Jordan Norberto was called upon to replace him and will likely have to pitch several innings with the bullpen taxed after Friday evening's 15-inning affair.

A.J. Griffin scattered just three hits across six scoreless innings of work Wednesday, improving to 3-0 in Oakland's 16-0 destruction of the Blue Jays.

Griffin fanned nine and walked two. The nine punchouts were the most of his six-start career. Quality in all six of those outings, Griffin's worth at least a temporary own in 12-14 team mixed leagues. He'll bring a 2.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 29/8 K/BB ratio (compiled through 36 frames) into his Monday matchup with the Rays in Oakland.

A.J. Griffin held the Yankees to two runs in six innings in Oakland's 4-3 win on Thursday night.

Nick Swisher homered in the bottom of the ninth to extend the Yankees' streak of games with at least three runs scored to 43, but it wasn't enough to make the difference. Griffin allowed seven hits tonight, but all of them were singles and he didn't walk anyone. His stuff isn't all that impressive, but he 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA and a 20/6 K/BB ratio in 30 innings for the A's.

A.J. Griffin defeated the Twins on Friday, picking up the first win of his MLB career, after allowing three runs on eight hits over six innings of work.

Griffin fanned five while walking one in the game. The only damage done against him came courtesy of a pair of homers from Josh Willingham. Over his first four starts in the Athletics rotation, Griffin is now 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA and 16/6 K/BB ratio over 24 innings. While his minor league numbers don't necessarily support this type of success, he's worth a look in deeper mixed leagues, especially to skim his home starts. He'll look to continue rolling when he takes on the Yankees at home on Thursday.

A.J. Griffin was outstanding in a no-decision against the Rangers on Friday, scattering just two hits over six scoreless innings in Arlington.

Griffin struck out four and walked two in the game, and has now looked very impressive over his first two starts in the A's rotation. He should have earned his first major league victory, if not for Grant Balfour's epic meltdown later in the game. He makes for a highly intriguing flier in deeper leagues for next Wednesday's start at home against the Red Sox.