Laureano making no excuse for misplay
Were it not for Ramón Laureano, the Royals easily would have scored a second run in the first inning Monday night. His fearsome arm, just the reputation the A’s outfielder has for throwing men out, kept Adalberto Mondesí firmly planted on third base after a triple even as Kansas City got two medium flyballs to right.
In the ninth, though, Laureano ran down Whit Merrifield’s flyball to center — only to have it bang off his glove. Merrifield wound up scoring the winning run when Mondesí doubled.
“I just dropped it, like I did about seven other times this year,” Laureano said. “I was there. I’m always there. I just dropped it. I’m trying to figure it out. It’s just footwork, that’s all. I have to make up for it next time.”
Laureano moved from right field to center field in the ninth when Mark Canha went to first base for Matt Olson, who’d been lifted for a pinchrunner in the eighth. Laureano said that defensive move didn’t factor in the misplay, nor did the field, which was converted from football to baseball overnight Sunday into Monday morning.
“I will never make an excuse,” Laureano said. “It just happens. It’s part of the game. I’ll work hard in the offseason and come up with new habits.”
Bench coach Ryan Christenson, who works with the team’s outfielders, said it was pretty simple: “He just dropped it. It could have been a little bit cleaner route to get himself in a little better position, but the bottom line is he was right there where the ball was. The ball hit him right in the palm and he dropped it.
“Sometimes it happens, and unfortunately, it happened in a huge situation. He could have been playing a little bit deeper to make it not as tough a catch, but he’s there and he catches that ball all the time. He just happened to drop it.”
Although Laureano has taken himself to task for some difficulties he has had making catches this year, including mistakes at Boston and at Minnesota, a National League scout said Monday that he considers Laureano the thirdbest defensive outfielder in the division, after the Angels’ Mike Trout and the Astros’ Josh Reddick. “He has the speed to overcome inconsistencies,” the scout said. “I’d say he’s a player all teams would love to have.”
“He has a rocketlike arm with accuracy, a plus defender whose routes are solid,” one American League scout texted. “Last night was the first time I’ve seen him mess up a ball.”
An NL scout who saw the A’s play on the last road trip said Laureano “can take a wrong turn at times, but let’s not forget he’s been a quick riser and this is his first full year in the majors. Add in juiced balls jumping off the bat; I actually like him better in center field where his speed plays best and allows for some misreads.
“He’s a great athlete and a yard rat. He will overcome.”
Christenson subbed for manager Bob Melvin during Tuesday afternoon’s media session while Melvin was away for a procedure to alleviate neck discomfort. Melvin was back well before game time. Fiers update: Mike Fiers had an MRI exam for nerve irritation in his right arm, but as expected, he threw a bullpen session Tuesday and Christenson said he is on track to make his next scheduled start, likely Saturday against Texas.
Fiers exited his last start, Saturday at Texas, after just 12⁄3 innings when he felt a “zinger” down his arm on the first pitch he threw to Rougned Odor; Fiers remained in the game and allowed a homer to Odor and a walk before coming out. He said he has felt the issue several times in the past, including this season, and it has not caused him to miss a start.