Canha leaves game with hip strain; MRI scheduled

⏩ A’s beat: Mark Canha leaves game (hip injury), will have MRI.

ARLINGTON, Texas — A’s outfielder Mark Canha left Thursday’s series finale at Texas with a left hip strain and will undergo an MRI exam on Friday, manager Bob Melvin said.

“For him to come out of a game means it’s hurt,” Melvin said after the A’s 51 win.

Canha did not start Wednesday night’s game but pinchhit in the eighth inning and stayed in to play first base. Melvin said Thursday that Canha did not start that game in part because the hip “was a little sore.” Canha started Thursday in left field and took two atbats before Tony Kemp replaced him on defense in the bottom of the third inning.

“We had (Wednesday) kind of planned for him anyway, for one day off on the turf, but after a couple atbats today it bothered him enough to where he had to take himself out of the game,” Melvin said. “So he’ll have an MRI tomorrow and we’ll see where we’re at.”

Canha has been the A’s leadoff hitter for most of the season and a key figure in their offense. He entered Thursday ranked 10th out of qualified AL hitters with a .378 onbase percentage, was tied for third in the AL with 55 runs and 18 of his 33 RBIs have come in June. He has played all three outfield positions.

Kemp made an impact Thursday after replacing Canha. In the seventh inning, Aramis Garcia singled, took third on a double by Kemp and scored on a groundout. In the ninth, Kemp made a sparkling catch on Andy Ibáñez’s drive to the warning track in leftcenter. Angling back on a sprint, Kemp reached up with one hand and caught the baseball before going into a slide.

Kemp also drew a walk to reach base twice in three trips to the plate. His OBP in 137 plate appearances is .408. Only one AL hitter has that many plate appearances and a higher OBP:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays.

“We’re asking more and more out of him and he’s giving us more and more,” Melvin said of Kemp. “So I don’t know what else to say other than the fact that he’s turned from basically a utility player and a nuancetype guy, pinch runner, pinch hit, day off for somebody, into a guy that’s valuable and needs to be in the lineup almost every day.”

Andrus’ return: Elvis Andrus finished well in his return to Texas. After going hitless Monday, the A’s shortstop had five hits over the final three games. He also began a double play with a sliding stop and gloveflip that helped starter Chris Bassitt finish the seventh inning Thursday. Melvin noted Andrus played all four games; Andrus has started every game in June for Oakland.

“He’s not the youngest guy on our team but he wanted no part of an off day here,” Melvin said. “It’s impressive to see him be as durable as he is and put up some offensive numbers here recently, not just this series but over the last month and a half.”