Lefthander Manaea ‘in really good spot’
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Wednesday offered a measuring stick for Sean Manaea’s progress this spring.
The White Sox, who didn’t lose a game last season when facing a lefthanded starter, used a lineup of regulars against the A’s and Manaea worked into the sixth inning at Camelback Ranch and allowed one earned run against a trendy AL preseason favorite.
“Where I’m at, physically and mentally, I’m in a really good spot,” Manaea said. “If we were to start (the season) tomorrow, or five days from now or whatever, I think I’d definitely be ready.”
Manaea’s longest inning Wednesday was his first, when he allowed two hits and a walk and hit a batter. He still climbed above the 70pitch mark and his fastball sat in the 9293 mph range in the middle innings. All five hits he allowed to a lineup with serious power were singles and he induced 2020 AL MVP Jose Abreu and Luis Robert to hit into double plays.
“I felt like I was able to pound the fastball gloveside really well today,” Manaea said. “And then my changeup felt really good coming out of my hand. I threw some really, from my perspective, good sliders — the one that hit (Yoan) Moncada, the result wasn’t good but that shape and everything was really, really good. So I was happy with pretty much everything.”
After taking a comebacker off his pitching arm in his previous outing, Manaea said the area is still sore but not an issue. Manaea is scheduled for one more spring outing, which manager Bob Melvin said will be in Monday’s Cactus League finale against the Giants. Melvin has yet to announce his rotation but Manaea’s first start likely will be in the opening fourgame series against Houston.
“You’re getting close to the season, you get an ‘A’ lineup, you pitch well against them and get deep in the game, it’s all kind of coming together for you,” Melvin said.
⏩ Catcher Austin Allen was optioned to TripleA Las Vegas, leaving Aramis Garcia in line to open the season as the backup to Sean Murphy.
With Chad Pinder and Tony Kemp also likely part of a fourman bench, the A’s decision on the final spot could be between a lefthandedhitting backup outfielder (Ka’ai Tom or Seth Brown) or infield depth (Vimael Machin). Tom, a Rule 5 pick, would have to be offered back to Cleveland if he doesn’t make the roster. Brown and Machin still have minorleague options.
Tom had an RBI single and a walk in four plate appearances Wednesday and is 9for20 in spring games since returning from an oblique injury. Brown started slowly, but has six hits in his past 15 atbats — three homers and three doubles. Brown slugged 37 homers at TripleA in 2019 but has none in 80 majorleague atbats the past two seasons.
Tom is playing at all three outfield spots — he started in left Wednesday and will be in center Thursday. Melvin said pregame the A’s “haven’t gotten a great read on him defensively. … But what we’ve seen so far is fine. And his bat has showed up bigtime.”
⏩ Brown hit one of four A’s home runs in a 144 win Wednesday. Murphy hit one against Lance Lynn and added an RBI double. Frank Schwindel also homered against Lynn and right fielder Stephen Piscotty hit his first of the spring off righthander Will Carter. Piscotty is 4for27 in Cactus League play and missed several games recently after a cortisone shot for soreness in his left wrist.
⏩ Jesús Luzardo’s last spring outing will be in a simulated game Saturday. A.J. Puk will start that day’s Cactus League game against Texas. Melvin said “it’s going to be a big start” for Puk — if he can pitch four innings, the A’s would consider him strong enough to open the season in the rotation.