OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners will renew their American League Western Division rivalry on Thursday with a fresh face on the mound for Oakland.
He's also a bit of an old soul.
Cesar Valdez, who has not pitched in the big leagues since 2010, will start in the first game of the four-game series. Oakland, which has won two in a row after dropping four straight, has been looking for a replacement for Kendall Graveman, who wound up on the 10-day disabled list Monday.
It will be a tough matchup for Valdez as the Mariners will counter with James Paxton, who has a 2-0 record and has not allowed a run in 21 innings this season.