Oakland Athletics AM: Who’s in the Mix For the Open Outfield Spot?
By Jason Burke
Even though the Oakland Athletics suffered their first loss of the spring on Sunday to the White Sox, there has been a lot to be excited about in the early going. Offseason acquisitions Mark Canha and Josh Phegley carried the A’s offense on Friday, while Marcus Semien has been the talk of camp, going 6-for-11 with two home runs and seven rbi in early action.
Good news has come on the field, but off the field the Oakland Athletics have some injury concerns, with the most prevalent being Josh Reddick, who strained his oblique, and is now projected to miss Opening Day according to Christina Kahrl of ESPN. Reddick had gone 3-for-3 in his only action this spring. Alaex Hassan (.385, 2 rbi), Billy Burns (.333, .429 OBP, double, triple) and Jason Pridie (.250/.308, home run, 2 doubles, 3 rbi) are all options to be added to the A’s 25-man roster in Reddick’s absence.
Matt Snyder of CBS Sports released his preview of the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, detailing his projected lineup, rotation, bullpen and bench for Oakland. Snyder has Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, Jesse Hahn, Drew Pomeranz and Kendall Graveman in the rotation, as well as the usual suspects for the roster/bullpen. The injuries to Reddick and Sean Doolittle do not have replacements, but this is a good summary of what the Oakland Athletics bring to the table in 2015.
I’m assuming you’ve heard by now, but just in case, Jim Harbaugh visited the A’s and coached first base from the bottom of the third, to the game-clinching Renato Nunez infield single in the ninth. Matt Kawahara of the Sacramento Bee quotes Harbaugh as saying, “It was great to be around these guys. Great group of guys. Only go see the best.” Apparently fans were even asking Bob Melvin to let Harbaugh hit at points during the game.
If you’ve missed any recent articles from the Swingin’ A’s team, here are some good reads:
Could Injuries Actually Help the A’s? – Jason Burke
This Week in the Cactus League – Joesph DeClercq