No rust as Luzardo’s back

A’s lefthander Jesús Luzardo addressed any questions about his readiness to begin this season facing his first hitter, Justin Upton ,on Saturday against the Angels.

Luzardo threw Upton three pitches, all fastballs at 97 or 98 mph, and finished with a pitch clocked at 98.4 mph on the Coliseum radar gun for a swinging third strike.

“First batter, definitely had the adrenaline pumping,” Luzardo said.

In three scoreless relief innings in Oakland’s 41 loss to the Angels, Luzardo hardly looked rusty from his late start to training camp. Eight days removed from joining the A’s, the rookie threw 44 pitches, allowing a hit and a walk with two strikeouts. Afterward, manager Bob Melvin left open the possibility of Luzardo making a start for his next outing rather than

pitching again in relief.

“I think nowadays if you can throw 60 or 65 pitches, you might be in position to start,” Melvin said. “We’re kind of right on the border there . ... We get him one more outing, we’re probably in a good position to start him. But I’m not ruling anything out at this point.”

Luzardo has advanced quickly since joining camp late following a positive coronavirus test. He threw one bullpen session before facing A’s hitters for the first time Monday, and those simulated innings were his only live atbats before Saturday.

After retiring Upton to open

the sixth, Luzardo won a 10pitch battle with Albert Pujols, who flied out. Luzardo allowed a leadoff double to Tommy La Stella in the seventh but retired the next three batters on groundouts to strand La Stella. He erased a leadoff walk in the eighth by getting Mike Trout to hit into a double play.

“There were a lot of good things that tested him today, and he came through with flying colors,” Melvin said.

Luzardo said his “arm feels good” and he feels like he’s ready to start next time out.

“I felt good throughout the whole outing,” Luzardo said.

“But at the end of the day it’s not my decision, so if they want me in the bullpen again, I’ll gladly throw in the bullpen.”

Briefly: Ramón Laureano is 4for7 in two games and has “probably had our most consistent atbats,” Melvin said ... Chad Pinder has started both games at second base, including Saturday against a righthanded pitcher. Melvin said in a 60game season, “if you have a guy swinging a hot bat, you’re going to want him in the lineup.”

Matt Kawahara covers the A’s for The San Francisco Chronicle.