Joyce coming out of funk

ANAHEIM — Matt Joyce entered Wednesday’s game batting .157, and over the eight previous games, he was 2-for-23. Then, in the A’s 8-5 loss to the Angels, he doubled in the second inning and walloped a two-run homer high into the seats in right in the eighth.

“It’s a hard game, no doubt about that,” the right fielder said before the game. “It’s one of those things. You have to stay locked in on the process because it’s easy to get frustrated with the results. I have to go back to what works for me, stick to the plan and battle through it. Take some deep breaths and fight through it.”

Manager Bob Melvin noted that Joyce was hitting the ball on the nose the first two weeks, calling him the team’s “unluckiest hitter” early.

“I could have as easily been hitting .300,” Joyce said “That’s what makes the game tough. You can do everything right and have nothing to show for it.”

“He’s grinding right now,” Melvin said. “It’s a case of getting a game or two under his belt where he gets some hits, and he’ll be off to the races.”

Joyce is still collecting walks and is playing well in the field — including a superb diving catch of a sinking liner by Jefry Marte in the eighth inning Tuesday. “Off the bat, I didn’t think I’d get there,” Joyce said. “But there was a little tail to it, so I said, ‘You know what? Let’s go.’ ”

Bassitt update: Chris Bassitt will hit a milestone Saturday when he pitches for Class A Stockton, his first game since Tommy John surgery nearly a year ago. Melvin said that Bassitt will throw three innings and about 45 pitches.

Minor-league rehab assignments are limited to 30 days for pitchers, which would have put Bassitt’s return date around June 1, but under the new CBA, extensions can be obtained for pitchers returning from Tommy John surgery, adding as much as another 30 days. The A’s are likely to want Bassitt to get in as much rehab as possible after missing all but five games last year.