Tents to help players keep their distance

At some point this season, the A’s might summon a pitcher or position player out of the stands.

With teams required to practice physical distancing in dugouts and bullpens during games, the A’s have installed tents in the stands behind each dugout and bullpen at the Coliseum to serve as auxiliary seating for players and personnel.

The dugout tents, which were up Friday, cover several rows of seats across one section on the home and visitor sides. MLB protocols require the auxiliary seats to allow space for players to keep a 6foot distance and be sheltered from weather.

“With no fans, you have the run of the ballpark pretty much,” A’s reliever Lou Trivi

no said. “You can kind of space out pretty easily.”

Reliever J.B. Wendelken said sitting in the stands in the early innings means the bullpen “won’t be crammed on top of each other, but I don’t think it’s going to change that much.”

In the dugouts, teams are told to allow only players who are active and “likely to enter” a game (not the next day’s starting pitcher, for example). MLB protocols also discourage leaning on the railing and “unnecessary movement.” A’s manager Bob Melvin acknowledged that may require him to adjust.

“This is where the whole superstition thing comes into play,” Melvin said. “I’m usually standing when we’re hitting and sitting down when we’re pitching. We’ll see if I can do that. I’m not in close proximity to the bat rack, so my guess is I can find a place to distance myself.” Schedule note: After the A’s play their two exhibition games against the Giants on Monday and Tuesday, they will have an offday Wednesday followed by a workout on Thursday to get ready for Friday night’s season opener against the Angels.

Melvin said Wednesday’s workout probably will include a four or fiveinning simulated game. “I wanted to take the day off two days before as opposed to the day before,” Melvin said. “We’ll have the hitters face more live pitching, and then on the 24th we’ll be ready to go.”