Morris (0-1) took the loss against Houston on Saturday, allowing nine runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out four batters over four-plus innings.
Morris was called upon to start following injuries to Aaron Civale (shoulder) and Luis Severino (shoulder), but he didn't make a strong case for sticking in the rotation. The right-hander gave up six runs over his first two innings, with the biggest blow being a grand slam off the bat of Yordan Alvarez. That was one of three homers allowed overall by Morris, who needed 90 pitches to retire 12 batters. Neither Civale nor Severino is slated to return soon, but given Morris' performance Saturday, the Athletics -- who currently sit 3.5 games behind Seattle in the AL West -- may opt to turn to a different pitcher to fill the rotation slot.