Neal fired a scoreless eighth inning in a 7-2 loss to the Mariners on Friday.
Recalled from Triple-A Nashville on July 2, Neal saw action for the first time at the big-league level since June 14. The 28-year-old right-hander was roughed up by the Nationals and Rays for 12 earned runs over 7.2 innings in two appearances during his previous stint, but he'd closed out that tenure with a pair of strong outings against the Marlins. Friday's effort represented his third scoreless appearance with the Athletics this season, and he's now lowered his ERA from 10.13 to a still-bloated but improving 7.98 over his last three trips to the mound.