Canha skips rehab, takes leadoff spot

The A’s recovered a key piece of their lineup Saturday, activating outfielder and leadoff hitter Mark Canha from the injured list. Canha, who did not have a minorleague rehab assignment, went 1for4 with an infield hit and was hit by a pitch in the A’s 32 loss to Cleveland.

Manager Bob Melvin said before the game Canha “might be a little rusty … but it’s important that we get him back in the lineup, especially in the leadoff spot, because he’s meant so much to us. You’ve seen the record since he’s been out so he’s a key guy to have.” Canha missed 16 games with a strained left hip, though he said Friday he had inflammation in both hips and he received plateletrich plasma injections in both hips while sidelined. The A’s averaged 3.8 runs per game during his absence. They are 4329 this season with Canha in the leadoff spot and 1012 when he is out. With Canha back, Melvin kept Elvis Andrus in the second lineup spot Saturday. Andrus entered batting .333 in 12 starts in that spot. Ramón Laureano, who has started 22 games in the second spot, batted fifth. An 0for4 day dipped his July average to .180 in 12 games.

Melvin said keeping Andrus second was due to “how he’s swinging … Ramón’s struggling a little bit so we’ll back him up some, but in the middle of the order he always has the power dynamic as well.”

No rehab: Like Canha, designated hitter Mitch Moreland and Laureano recently returned from IL stints without minorleague rehab assignments. Right fielder Stephen Piscotty played in one TripleA rehab game before returning July 3 from a wrist sprain. Melvin was asked if that signals a change in approach.

“I think when you’re struggling to an extent and you need key guys back in your lineup you get them back sooner than later as opposed to maybe wasting some of the atbats in TripleA,” Melvin said. “Every one of these guys has wanted to (be activated). If they wanted to go on a rehab assignment we would absolutely let them do it.”