Davis, Piscotty make slow progression
MESA, Ariz. — Each player in this (now closed) Oakland A’s clubhouse has notched disparate numbers of at bats and innings. Injury, veteran status and position races can typically dictate that.
The A’s lost a messy game, 4-2, to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday at Hohokam Stadium. Wins and losses don’t matter much, here, but can provide some perspective on where some established, recovering and burgeoning players stand with less than two weeks remaining in the Cactus League.
Khris Davis: The A’s designated hitter has the heightened expectations set by a high, high bar he set for himself in his first few seasons in Oakland. Hit 42, 43, then 48 home runs in three seasons straight and fans will surely be looking for more of the same. And, to a certain extend, Davis does, too. So a 27 home run, .220 average 2019 begs for a bounce back.
Davis’ first whiffs of 2020 came about slowly as he dealt with a calf injury. And, in 17 at bats, Davis has 8 strikeouts and 3 hits and no home runs. Three of those strikeouts came in Tuesday’s game against the Royals.
“When we get a little deeper he will start
swinging the bat better,” manager Bob Melvin said on Tuesday. Numbers might not tell the full tale. Davis has had a few games where he was making his Davis-like contact.
Mike Fiers: Fiers allowed two earned runs on five hits, including a Nicky Lopez home run. He struck out three and walked one.
More importantly might be that he “feels good” after throwing 71 pitches in five innings — his goal this start was to reach about 75 pitches. Of the 71 pitches he threw, 54 registered as strikes.
A Japan trip-truncated spring last year rushed his progression in 2019, but he’s at a comfortable pace now and just about ready for his season.
“Lot of strikes with all his pitches, that’s what you want to see right now,” Melvin said. “They’re getting a little better feel at this point in time for his strikes. Threw his curveball for a strike, changeup, cutter. Pretty
similar compared to his last time out.”
Fiers has been slowly integrated his slider back into his repertoire, too. His slider leaked and got knocked out of the park in his last start against the Cincinnati Reds in Goodyear. But he’s liking the progress he’s made on it.
“I can throw it like I do every other pitch,” Fiers said. “Trying to take some off and make it move more. That’s just how I throw. It’s definitely a learning process. I feel like I have a good understanding of it, so it’s just about throwing it more.”
Vimael Machin: The A’s Rule 5 pick fits the A’s mold, in a sense.
Not the power-hitter’s mold that laces the projected A’s lineups to come, per se. Machin has the infield defensive versatility that pairs with solid plate discipline. Ball has met bat quite a bit with Machin this spring — He has 10 hits in 30 at bats with six strikeouts and six walks. He’s not slugging, but he’s poking hits the other way and generating noteworthy at bats.
He hit a pinch-hit single on
Tuesday, another way in which Machin has demonstrated that limited at bats in the big leagues might not negatively affect his contributions at the plate. Machin isn’t slated to get the lion’s share of starts at any position, but could be a key bat and glove off the bench in that 26th roster spot.
Stephen Piscotty: The A’s outfielder is in a mental spiral here in Mesa. Present, but unable to play a single out with a rib injury sustained this winter.
“I feel like I’m in an eightmonth perpetual cycle of hurt. It’s very, very frustrating,” Piscotty said. “But I’m trying to keep a positive attitude. I’m glad it’s happening now and not later on during an extended postseason run.”
There is no timetable for Piscotty’s return, he says, and he has been shut down from baseball activity. This injury compounds with a right knee sprain and right ankle sprain the outfielder sustained last season. The injuries sidelined him for most of the season and kept him off the wild card roster.