DH avoids the IL — for 2 days, anyway

CLEVELAND — The A’s decided against placing designated hitter Khris Davis on the injured list and will wait through Thursday’s day off to evaluate MRI exam results and to see if a little more rest helps his left side injury.

“The thinking is just on the off chance a day off today, a day off tomorrow, we’ll get the results of the MRI at some point between now and then,” manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday of hopes the team’s cleanup hitter might be available sooner than expected. “There’s probably a good chance he goes on the IL, probably a great chance, but we’ll hold off just in case. We’ll play short today and see where we are Friday.”

Davis said Tuesday night that his side — mostly his oblique, though the injury has been described as a left hip contusion — hurts every time he swings, and he has a particularly hard swing: He leads the majors in homers (145) since the start of the 2016 season. He believes the injury has affected his power, and he said after coming out of Tuesday’s game after one at-bat that he believes going on the IL is “the right move.”

Through 43 games, Davis is hitting .248 and leads the team in home runs (12) and RBIs (29).

Davis sustained the injury when he ran into the railing in foul ground in left while making a catch near the stands at Pittsburgh on May 5.

The A’s have won seven of the eight games Davis has missed with the injury. They also won Tuesday’s game in which he had just one at-bat.

“It’s never great to not have him, but if you’re playing well, it’s certainly more palatable, when you’re getting contributions up and down,” Melvin said. “There are times he carries the load by himself, but that’s not the case right now.

“Guys are swinging the bats well and we’re mixing up; the bottom of the order has been terrific on this road trip. If there was ever a time to do it, maybe it would be when we’re playing pretty well.”

Outfielder Skye Bolt was on hand Wednesday in case the A’s had made a move and he’s likely to be the player placed on the roster Friday should the A’s decide to put Davis on the IL. That move can be backdated to Wednesday.

With Davis unavailable, Oakland had a two-man bench of outfielder Stephen Piscotty and catcher Josh Phegley for the series finale at Cleveland.