Emotional swing for Joyce

NEW YORK — When Matt

Joyce hit the second pitch of Saturday’s game out of the park, it was a special moment for many who know him and for a family in south Florida dealing with a tragedy. Joyce’s closest friend, Geoff

Strickland, lost his young son, Lane, to brain cancer Saturday. The 4-year-old had been on life support after seizures caused by the cancer. Before the series in New York, Joyce had asked about the possibility of leaving the A’s to be with the Strickland family for a few days, but personal leaves are allowed only if a family member is involved.

Joyce’s thoughts, naturally, were on Lane Strickland when he stepped to the plate to lead off against Zack Wheeler.

“When I checked my phone, I had four or five messages saying, ‘That one was for Lane,’ ” Joyce said Sunday. “So I took a screenshot of my phone and sent it to Geoff and said, ‘Hey, man, I love you.’

“He said, ‘Yeah, it was for Lane. Great swing. He loved his Uncle Matt.’ ”

The whole weekend has been difficult for Joyce, who said he has been playing “with a very heavy heart.”

“It’s been emotional,” he said. “This is my job, this is what I love to do, but there are times you feel you should be somewhere else. This is a little different. It’s tough to go out there with the same passion and intensity when something like this is going on, but you have to find a way.”

More Smith? Called up as a spot starter right before the All-Star break, Chris Smith might be slowly working his way into Oakland’s rotation. “He deserves another start or two, whatever it turns out to be, based on performance,” manager Bob Melvin said.

Jharel Cotton is returning to Triple-A Nashville to build up his pitch count after missing much of July with a blister. He said he also wants to work on his changeup. It has been his best pitch, but Cotton got beat on it a few times and went away from it, then lost his feel for it briefly.

“I want to go back to making it my pitch,” Cotton said. “I love it, too — I want to get back to throwing it more, no matter what happens.”