McNeil is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.
The left-handed-hitting McNeil has now sat in three straight games, including two matchups versus right-handed pitchers. The 34-year-old has struggled to a .227/.297/.305 batting line on the season, with his .597 OPS representing a career-low mark by 82 points. The Athletics' patience with McNeil may be wearing thin, especially while rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer has made a case for steady playing time by producing a 1.058 OPS through seven games since being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas last week. Kuroda-Grauer will receive the nod at second base Wednesday and could continue to play ahead of McNeil while he's wielding a hot bat.