Little room for power bat

The A’s called up a man who hit 32 home runs in the minors this season and don’t necessarily have a spot for him.

Renato Nuñez’s homers total with Triple-A Nashville is tied for second most in the minor leagues and ninth most in Oakland franchise history.

Nuñez played mostly left field and third base with Nashville, and the A’s are booked at those positions, so he might not get much playing time.

“Just the reward for him being here is significant because he deserves to be here,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We’re a little muddled as far as where those at-bats will come from, but we have to get him in there at some point. Not sure when, but it’s nice to have him here.”

Nuñez hit .249 with a .319 on-base percentage, 27 doubles, 78 RBIs and 141 strikeouts in 126 games. He said his increased power numbers were a result of fewer moving parts in his plate approach.

“I was moving too much when I was hitting,” Nuñez said, “so now I’m more calm to try to see the ball well.”

The A’s also recalled second baseman Joey Wendle and pitcher Daniel Mengden, who will start in struggling Chris

Smith’s spot in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader.

Pitcher Raul Alcantara also was recalled and added to the 40-man roster as pitcher Paul

Blackburn was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Clemente nominee: Reliever Liam Hendriks is the A’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, which is presented to one big-leaguer annually for his philanthropic contributions.

Hendriks is involved in several charities, including Big League Impact and Striking Out Poverty, which targets the Dominican Republic. He played winter ball in the Dominican after the 2014 season and said he was prompted to act after seeing some of the deprived areas.

“You don’t go into the season thinking about any award or anything like that,” Hendriks said. “I went into the season hoping to try to just put my best foot forward off the field. I think we’ve been given such a platform that our voice carries a lot further than some.” Hendriks and his wife, Kristi, are raising money through sales of a T-shirt he helped design and through an online campaign that collects donations for all his strikeouts (and walks).