A’s Henderson Alvarez suffers setback in comeback

A struggling A’s rotation has received more bad news:

In what was expected to be his final rehab start, the right-hander allowed two earned runs and recorded eight strikeouts in five innings of Triple-A Nashville’s 6-3 win Sunday over Fresno.

“He feels a little better than he did yesterday, so we’ll probably know more after the doctors take a look at him,” manager Bob Melvin said.

Alvarez was scheduled to be examined by team doctors Monday.

Alvarez, who signed a one-year contract with Oakland in December, hasn’t appeared in a major-league game since last May.

In 222/3 innings for Class A Stockton and Nashville, the 26-year-old Venezuelan has allowed eight earned runs on 18 hits and six walks.

When healthy, the 2014 NL All-Star should offer a measure of stability to a rotation that owns the AL’s worst ERA.

Everything had gone so well, but typically you will get a bump in the road from time to time.

[...] baseman Jed Lowrie continues to progress from the shin contusion that landed him on the 15-day disabled list.

Two days after hitting off a tee, he fielded groundballs during batting practice Monday. …

Melvin hasn’t ruled out the possibility of placing catcher Josh Phegley (knee) on the DL.

Phegley is “looking better” since having a recent cortisone shot for right knee inflammation, Melvin said, but “we’ll have to look at potentially doing something” if Phegley can’t play this weekend.

After opening the season by facing three left-handed starting pitchers, the A’s went up against righties in 32 of the next 35 games.

Oakland, which entered Monday 2-4 against left-handed starters, is scheduled to face three lefties in its current series with Texas.