SEATTLE — The Oakland A’s rotation has taken blow after blow through the first half of 2019. But with the All-Star break on the horizon, there was finally a bit of good news.

On Monday, Oakland ace Sean Manaea will make his first rehab start since undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.

Manager Bob Melvin said Manaea is slated to pitch three innings for Class A Stockton and progress from there.

“Obviously it’ll be incremental each time,” Melvin said. “We have to get him to a point where he’s comfortable, but it’ll be a nice shot in the arm to get him back.”

The next day, Jharel Cotton will begin his rehab assignment with Stockton. Melvin said he expects Cotton to take on a relief role when he rejoins the club.

“He’ll be right behind Manaea,” Melvin said.

Manaea was originally slated to begin his rehab assignment at the end of June, but the A’s nixed that when he began experiencing soreness in his right side. He hasn’t pitched in a live game since being placed on the injured list last August with rotator cuff tendinitis. He had pitched through the injury, posting a 3.59 ERA and no-hitting the Red Sox earlier in the season, until he was shut down.

Needless to say, Manaea is anxious to return.

“He’s a very excitable young man,” Melvin said. “This is a start of a process that was delayed a little bit, but he’s always been intent on giving us a couple months this year. Hopefully that’s the case.”

Manaea’s return would be a big boost for a streaking club that is short on starting pitching. The A’s have won six of their past seven to hit a high-water mark of nine games over .500 entering Saturday’s contest in Seattle.

• Aaron Brooks, who was originally part of the A’s solution in the rotation, completed his descent from the rotation when the Baltimore Orioles claimed the 29-year-old right-hander on waivers. Brooks wasn’t the only pitcher to depart the Oakland bullpen Saturday.

As quickly as Paul Blackburn had arrived, he, too, was gone.

Called up prior to Friday’s game to provide bullpen reinforcements, Blackburn was optioned back to Triple-A on Saturday afternoon. He did not appear in Friday night’s 5-2 win. Right-hander J.B. Wendelken was recalled to take Blackburn’s place in the bullpen.

“J.B.’s a reliever and Paul’s more of a starter, and with the issues we’ve had with starters, we need to have him down there starting,” Melvin said.

The A’s had placed Brooks on waivers Wednesday when they activated former closer Blake Treinen from the injured list.

Since starting the season in the A’s rotation, Brooks had transitioned into a long-relief role but made only six appearances since the start of June. He made 15 appearances for the A’s this season, including six starts in April, posting a 5.01 ERA.