Melvin back with team

Yes, manager Bob Melvin watched the A’s come from three runs down in the ninth to beat the Rays on Matt Chapman’s homer on Thursday night. No, he was not calling the shots from home, but letting bench coach Ryan Christenson run the game.

And, no, Melvin is not ready to throw batting practice, which he loves to do, after undergoing a procedure meant to relieve long-standing pain in the facet joint in his neck.

Melvin said he was given anesthesia, the only reason he missed the game. He was physically unable to attend. But he was alert enough by 7:07 p.m. to flip on the game, which the A’s won 5-4 after falling behind 4-1 in the top of the ninth.

“I watched the whole game, a very exciting game,” Melvin said. “It’s harder to watch on TV. But it is what it is.”

Melvin had discomfort at least since spring training and had an epidural injection before the A’s flew to Japan to open the season. On Thursday

his doctors tried something else, which Melvin did not specifically explain. When asked how he was feeling Friday, Melvin suggested there was no great improvement yet.

“It probably takes a few days for it to settle in,” he said. “We’ll see.”

Manaea progress: Lefty Sean Manaea still hopes to return around the All-Star break, which would be nine months after he underwent surgery to repair his pitching shoulder. Manaea was back in Oakland after throwing 60 pitches in a four-inning simulated game against five A’s prospects at the team’s facility in Arizona

on Thursday. His next outing should come in a minor-league rehab game against another organization.

“I can’t wait to get out there and face some actual competition in a game atmosphere, so I’m really excited about that,” the 27-year-old said.

As for Thursday’s effort, “Everything felt good,” Manaea said. “I was able to throw my changeup for strikes and my slider was coming out well.”

All-Star snubs: No Athletic finished higher than seventh in the fans’ “primary” balloting for the July 9 All-Star Game. That was Chapman, who had 432,453 votes at third base compared to the 2.34 million that leading vote-getter Alex Bregman received.

The top three in balloting at each position — nine in the outfield — will vie for starting roles in a second round of balloting. Angels center fielder Mike Trout led all American Leaguers with 3.37 million votes.

Reserves and pitchers will be selected in a players vote.