When Harden was placed on the disabled list on Thursday with a strained right shoulder, and infielder Donnie Murphy was placed on the bereavement list, the A's recalled both infielder Furmaniak and right-handed pitcher Brown from Triple-A Sacramento.

Manager Bob Geren said that Harden was going to go to British Columbia, get some rest, and begin some rehab with a guy he's worked with in the past. "Hopefully he'll continue throwing shortly and it's not too big of a setback."

This is Brown's first stint with the parent club and Furmaniak's second.

Brown was relaxing in Lake Tahoe with his wife, Wendy, and friends when he got the call on Tuesday. "It was good news to hear," he said smiling.

To make room for Brown on the 40-man roster, right-hander Justin Duchscherer was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. He has been out since May 22 with a right hip injury. He had successful surgery on Wednesday, and will miss the rest of the season.

Acquired from San Diego in the June 29 Milton Bradley trade, Brown posted a 3.60 ERA in five games with Sacramento, earning four saves. He was 2-3 with a 2.78 ERA and no saves in 32 games with the Triple-A Portland Beavers.

Geren said that Brown will not be used as the Oakland closer, because Alan Embree has done a good job, Kiko Calero is back, and Huston Street, out since May 13 with irritation in his right ulnar nerve, is expected to return in the near future.

However, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Brown looks, and throws, like a closer.

Geren said that Sacramento manager Tony DeFrancesco told him that he's never seen a player with Brown's power and velocity. "He was throwing in the bullpen yesterday and we were kind of watching some [batting practice], but there were some loud pops coming from down there," Geren said.

In nine appearances with Cleveland last season after a Sept. 13 call up, Brown, whose pitches include a hard slider and nasty curve, allowed four earned runs in 10 innings.

"I just hope to get some more experience and show that I can do more," said Brown, who admits he needs to be more consistent at the Major League level. "I hope to take advantage of the opportunity and show that I belong here."

When Brown appears in a game, he will be the 46th player to don the green and yellow this year. The team record is 49, set in 1997.

The versatile Furmaniak was with the club from June 16-20, going hitless in his lone at-bat.

He knows that this stay could also be a short one, but that won't deter his determination. "I just want to contribute however I can," he said.

That could potentially be in a number of ways:

In 83 Triple-A games, he hit .277 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs. At Sacramento, the 28-year-old played 42 games at shortstop, 18 at third base, 15 in left field, eight at second base and one in right field. He also had 17 stolen bases.

"It's my first year playing outfield, but I'll do whatever it takes to help get out there," he said.

Buck, Piazza, Street updates: Travis Buck was scheduled to start in the outfield for Sacramento on Thursday. He has been on the disabled list since June 28 with a sprained right thumb. Depending on how his thumb feels, Geren indicated there is a chance Buck could rejoin the team before the Minnesota series concludes.

Geren had no new information about designated hitter Mike Piazza, out since May 2 with a sprained shoulder, possibly playing in Sacramento on a rehabilitation assignment. "I know he was talking to the front office and they were going to make a decision on that," Geren said.

Street threw on the side Wednesday with fastballs and sliders, and was expected to take Thursday off or play light catch. On Friday, he is expected to face hitters in Phoenix, throwing between 25-30 pitches. "Yesterday was a big day, and tomorrow's a big day for him," Geren said.

After an off-day on Saturday, Street could throw a simulated game in Oakland, or go on a Minor League assignment.

Ten players now reside on Oakland's disabled list. The club has used the disabled list 17 times this year, the most since they put 21 on the DL in 1997, resulting in 684 missed games.

Much needed break?: Oakland limped into the All-Star break by going 2-5 on its final homestand, and is 5-12 in its last 17 games, all played without an off-day. The A's enter the season's second half nine games behind Los Angeles. Oakland has not been more than 9 1/2 games out of first place since July 7, 2005, when it was 10 1/2 games back.

"A lot of guys were frustrated, and it was good to get off for a few days," said Bobby Crosby, who spent some time with family and friends. "We ended the first half on a bad foot, but we know we can turn it around pretty quickly."

Other than watching Dan Haren pitch, Crosby paid little attention to the All-Star activities. Nick Swisher paid even less attention, instead spending significant time with his dad, Steve, trying to forget about baseball and get recharged.

"We're looking forward to the second half. I think it's our time to shine," he said. "If we stay resilient, and be as competitive as we've been, I think we'll be just fine."

Up next: Oakland's Lenny DiNardo (3-5, 2.72 ERA) is scheduled to face Minnesota's Johan Santana (10-6, 2.75) in the second game of this four-game set. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. PT.