Alvarez (shoulder) may only need two more rehab starts before joining the A's rotation, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.
The 26-year-old built up to 77 pitches in his most recent rehab start with Triple-A Nashville on Friday, going 4.2 innings with one run allowed and three strikeouts. Barring any setbacks in his next two outings, Alvarez could be back as soon as May 20. Sean Manaea may be the most likely candidate to lose his spot upon Alvarez's activation, but he will have a couple more starts to make his case to stick.