A’s observations:
Lowrie debuts, first-rounders impress.
MESA, Ariz. — Spring training games tend to elicit a shrug from players with Jed Lowrie’s majorleague experience. Lowrie struck no such attitude Tuesday about his Cactus League debut with the A’s after two injurymarred seasons.
“I haven’t been that excited on a baseball field in a while,” Lowrie said. “Just happy I didn’t pass out, quite frankly.”
Lowrie, 36, had seven atbats in nine games the past two years for the Mets, the reason he is vying for the A’s secondbase job on a minorleague deal. On Tuesday, he got two atbats in a brief debut; he flied out to mediumdeep center field in the first and grounded out sharply to second base. He played two innings on defense and did not have any fielding chances.
Overall, he deemed it a good day.
“Swings felt good, I thought I saw the ball well, took the pitches I should’ve taken and swung at the ones I should’ve,” Lowrie said. “Body felt good. We’ll see how everything responds.”
The A’s planned to get Lowrie two atbats and will extend him each time he plays, manager Bob Melvin said. Lowrie had faced only A’s pitchers on back fields, and said a goal is to settle into the rhythm and adrenaline of games. He did not estimate a number of atbats needed to regain his hitting timing but said defense should return naturally.
“I’ve got a lot of innings under my belt at the position, and think it’s just a matter of getting back out there and getting reacclimated to that environment, to the stadium,” Lowrie said. “I was happy with my atbats (Tuesday). I kind of jammed myself on that first one, and still I was happy with the swing.”
⏩ Lefthander Cole Irvin will continue to prepare as a starter after the A’s introduce their majorleague rotation members into spring games, Melvin said. Irvin has impressed in his first two spring starts, including allowing a run in three innings Tuesday against the Cubs.
“He’s got a good sinker. He’s got a good changeup,” Melvin said. “I think he’s probably learning still what his strengths are, but for a guy that does have a fourpitch mix, it looks like he relied on his strengths today. … He’s here to make an impression in camp, and I think today he did.”
⏩ Burch Smith, a candidate for one of the last bullpen spots, allowed two runs on four hits in his second outing of the spring. Smith is returning from a forearm injury that ended his 2020 season; Melvin said the righthander is “working his way back” but “has shown a certain degree … to early batters that his stuff is there.”
⏩ The A’s lost Tuesday’s seveninning game 98 when lefthander Nik Turley gave up a walkoff grand slam to Rafael Ortega, a lefthanded hitter. Turley, who was acquired from the Pirates in January and is out of options, has allowed eight runs in three spring innings.
⏩ Oakland’s past two top draft picks made an impact Tuesday. Catcher Tyler Soderstrom, the 2020 firstrounder from Turlock, lined an oppositefield RBI double to leftcenter for his first Cactus League hit.
“Really, really exciting for him,” Melvin said. “He’s going to hit, no matter what. He’s got a very advanced bat at a young age.”
Shortstop Logan Davidson, the 2019 firstround pick, had a tworun double, two days after he drove a ball off the batter’s eye at Hohokam Stadium and legged out an insidethepark homer. Melvin said it looks like Davidson is bigger and stronger.
⏩ Matt Chapman hit his second spring home run, a low liner on a pitch from Craig Kimbrel that Melvin remarked looked “like a base hit to center” before clearing the fence “by about 20 feet.”