Triggs, Blackburn throw

After a devastating run of injuries to start the season, A’s could field a rotation entirely of starters on the disabled list. Two of them, though, might be able to pitch before the end of the season.

Andrew Triggs and Paul Blackburn played catch before Monday’s game at the Coliseum, and Triggs — who has been out most of the season with nerve irritation in his right arm — said he has been throwing for several days and everything feels good.

Blackburn missed the first two months with a forearm strain, then made six starts before going on the DL with right elbow epicondylitis, which is more frequently known as tennis elbow.

“We hold out hope for that,” manager Bob Melvin said of the possibility of Triggs and Blackburn working in games before the end of the season. “With September and expanded rosters, there is the potential for that.”

Another starter, Jharel Cotton, played catch Monday for the first time since he had Tommy John surgery in March. “Everything is on schedule, but for him, it’s a big day because it’s a lot of hard work,” Melvin said. “I think he’s a pretty happy boy he gets a baseball in his hand and gets to play catch again today.”

Top prospect A.J. Puk, Opening Day starter Kendall Graveman and right-hander Daniel Gossett also have undergone Tommy John surgery this season.

Outfielder Matt Joyce, who has missed 47 games with a back strain, is hitting off a tee and soft toss and he hopes to take batting practice during the team’s homestand. He could go on a rehab assignment in the next week or two, with an eye toward coming off the DL when rosters expand.

Peralta endowment: Last winter, the A’s had their dreams of a ballpark near Laney College shot down when the Peralta Community College board of trustees brought an abrupt end to talks. That experience, however, did not keep the team from announcing a $100,000 endowment to the Peralta Colleges Foundation.

The A’s announced that they will fund the Oakland Athletics Scholars Program, consisting of four annual scholarships for Peralta Community College District students, including potential team internships.

“The Oakland A’s financial commitment to the Peralta Colleges Foundation is another example of our positive impact in our community,” A’s President Dave Kaval said in a release.