The Mercury News

WORK IN PROGRESS

Melvin says A’s unfazed about Chapman’s quiet bat as camp winds down

- By Daniel Brown dbrown@bayareanew­sgroup.com

PHOENIX >> Matt Chapman, counted on as one of the A’s rising young stars, is off to a quiet start this spring.

After missing early time because of a right-hand injury, the third baseman is batting .167 with a .242 on-base percentage and .333 slugging percentage in Cactus League play. Chapman has one home run and seven strikeouts in 30 at-bats.

“It’s frustratin­g for him because he did a lot of work to try to cut down on his swing a little bit,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday. “But he’ll be fine. He’s more worried about himself, probably, than I am.”

The 2014 first-round draft pick batted .234 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs as a midseason call-up last season. Chapman also played top-flight defense. Only Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies (and Chapman’s former El Toro High teammate) saved more defensive runs last season, according to Baseball Info Solutions. Arenado saved 20 defensive runs; Chapman saved 19 — in 616 fewer innings. Melvin said Wednesday that the glove work by Chapman, as well as first baseman Matt Olson, will help the young players weather their ups and downs at the plate. He also likes the approach Chapman is taking at the plate, noting that his balance and timing look fine.

“The two guys on our corners are elite defenders,’’ Melvin said. “So even when they’re not swinging the bat, they’re going to be productive with their defense.”

PUK SHUT DOWN >> After spending most of spring training looking like he was on the fast track, it appears A.J. Puk has hit the brakes.

The A’s shut down the pitching phenom with biceps soreness, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The paper, citing an anonymous source, reported Wednesday that the injury is not believed to be serious and quoted the source as saying that Puk should resume throwing “sometime fairly soon.”

Still, anything involving the 6-foot-7, 220-pound left-

hander is enough to sound an alarm.

Melvin declined to comment on Puk on Wednesday after a 3-3 tie with the Milwaukee Brewers in Maryvale. Melvin said only that the pitcher has not thrown since his last outing, on March 15.

In that game against the Mariners, Puk gave up four runs in 2 2/3 innings. When the pitcher was among the nine roster cuts days later, there was talk about Puk’s fastball staying a notch or two below last year’s mid90s range.

“I think it’ll get there,” Melvin said that day. “I think the fact that he was working on different things and really concentrat­ing on his two-seamer and changeup, maybe not at the point in spring yet where the velocity picks up. Some guys get here and they have their velocity right away and certain guys it takes a little bit.”

In all, Puk went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 10.2 innings this spring. Batters hit .184 against him.

• Count right-hander Daniel Mengden among the A’s pitchers happy to have catcher Jonathan Lucroy behind the plate.

Mengden had his best, and longest, outing of the spring Wednesday, allowing two runs over 6 1/3 innings, then credited Lucroy for his game-calling.

In fact, Mengden had been looking forward to the pairing since getting word a few days earlier that the two-time All-Star would catch his next start.

“I was really excited about that,” the pitcher said. “He’s a good receiver, great game manager. He’s been around a long time.”

Mengden carried a shutout into the sixth inning before Eric Thames hit a two-run homer on a slider that caught too much of the plate.

In all, the staff seems to be settling down as opening day draws near. The A’s had a 7.45 ERA over their first 10 games and has a 4.07 ERA over the past 16 games.

Melvin said the addition of Lucroy, who signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal on March 12, will continue to pay off.

“I mean, this guy has his own book,’’ Melvin said. “He’s talking to these pitchers before the game. In spring training, rarely do you have an extensive scouting report on guys. But (Lucroy) always has an opinion. The guys know that he’s into it, and he’s prepared, and I think that shows up.”

• The A’s introduced a new program that will allow fans to pick their price for seats in Section 322 at regular season Wednesday home games. A minimum $1 donation will be required, and proceeds from “Community Impact Wednesdays” will benefit the A’s Community Fund.

For informatio­n, go to: athletics.com/impact.

• The A’s deemed righthande­r Jharel Cotton’s elbow ligament reconstruc­tion “successful” after Dr. Keith Meister performed the operation in Arlington, Texas. Cotton will return to Oakland to begin his rehabilita­tion process.

• New right fielder Steve Piscotty is batting .306 with a .359 on-base percentage and .556 slugging percentage. He’s done so in such workmanlik­e fashion that Melvin was surprised when he looked at the stat sheet.

“My guess is, that’s kind of the player he is,’’ Melvin said. “You look up at the end of the year and you see 20-something (homers) and maybe 80 (RBIs).”

• Trevor Cahill, the former A’s pitcher who returned to the team on a one-year, $1.5 million deal this week, will make his first appearance with his old team today. Cahill, 30, will throw about 40 pitches in relief.

 ?? ARIC CRABB — STAFF PHOTOGRAPH­ER ?? A’s third baseman Matt Chapman was a defensive whiz after being called up last season, saving 19 defensive runs in 84 games.
ARIC CRABB — STAFF PHOTOGRAPH­ER A’s third baseman Matt Chapman was a defensive whiz after being called up last season, saving 19 defensive runs in 84 games.
 ?? MATT YORK — ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? The A’s Khris Davis is forced out at second by the Brewers’ Nate Orf during Wednesday’s spring training game in Phoenix.
MATT YORK — ASSOCIATED PRESS The A’s Khris Davis is forced out at second by the Brewers’ Nate Orf during Wednesday’s spring training game in Phoenix.
 ?? MATT YORK — ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? A’s starter Daniel Mengden took a shutout into the sixth inning against the Brewers on Wednesday before Bay Area native Eric Thames hit a two-run homer.
MATT YORK — ASSOCIATED PRESS A’s starter Daniel Mengden took a shutout into the sixth inning against the Brewers on Wednesday before Bay Area native Eric Thames hit a two-run homer.
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