A’s beat: Barreto struggling to find playing time.

After 22 games, one A’s position player has yet to make a start this season:

Franklin Barreto.

Barreto’s only action has come as a pinchhitter, pinchrunner or defensive replacement. The infielder is in a tough spot: He was a candidate to platoon at second base, where Tony Kemp and Chad Pinder have mostly played, and he is out of options, so the A’s can’t send him to their alternate site in San Jose without exposing him to waivers.

“I do feel bad for him,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said Sunday, “because this kid’s a very talented baseball player and has not gotten an opportunity this year at all to this point.”

Barreto, acquired in the 2014 Josh Donaldson deal with Toronto, appeared in 80 games for the A’s over the previous three seasons and batted .189. The trade of infielder Jorge Mateo in June seemed to open a window for Barreto, and he was hitting well in summer camp. But he has had few opportunities inseason and is 0for5.

“His number will be called at some point in time,” Melvin said. “But next year will be a really important year for him, too, because we either have to make a decision on him in more of a role, or potentially at some point in time, he’s not with us. But there’s a lot of talent there, and I think if given the opportunity to play every day, you’d see that talent level come out.”

Briefly: The A’s placed reliever Burch Smith on the 10day injured list with a right forearm strain and recalled righthander James Kaprielian . ... Frankie Montas is on track to start Tuesday at Arizona after being scratched from his start Friday in San Francisco because of upper back tightness. … Matt Olson had three hits Sunday, all singles. Olson’s seven previous hits had been home runs. “I told him after the third one, ‘That’s enough of that,’ Melvin said, ‘Go back to hitting home runs.’ ”