Piscotty to paternity list; Machin returns to roster
With Stephen Piscotty going to the paternity list, the A’s called up Vimael Machin on Friday to provide reinforcement to the left side of their infield.
Oakland has been without a clear backup at shortstop or third base since Chad Pinder went to the injured list April 5. Elvis Andrus and Matt Chapman had both played every inning of the first 13 games entering Friday. The A’s opened with 10 games in 10 days and are to play 17 days in a row starting next Friday.
With Machin in the fold, manager Bob Melvin said: “At some point in time I will give (Andrus) a breather — just don’t tell him right now. But yes, it makes it easier. Chapman as well.”
Andrus was rarely out of the lineup in 12 seasons with the Rangers — he played 145 or more games in 10 of them. After a 1for24 start this season, Andrus’ hitting has picked up; he was 5for21 in his past six games before Friday. He was in the lineup after fouling a ball off his foot Thursday night.
“I’m coming to the ballpark with the mentality of playing 162,” Andrus said before Friday’s game. “I leave it up to Skip to make that decision if he thinks I need a day off or not. … But right now, I mean, that’s the only way I’m going to get better hittingwise is swinging the bat. So the last thing I want is to be on the bench right now.”
Machin spent all of last season with the A’s as a Rule 5 draft pick and played all four positions on the infield. He appeared in 24 games, hitting .206 with a .296 onbase percentage.
His arrival gave the A’s — who looked righthandedheavy in spring — six lefthanded hitters, six righthanded and one switchhitter (Jed Lowrie) for Friday’s game against Detroit.
Piscotty left midgame Thursday for the birth of his son, Melvin said. Players placed on paternity list can miss up to three games and Melvin said Piscotty will likely be away “at least the next two days, maybe three. I know he’s pretty excited, as we are.”
Asked if the A’s could consider keeping Machin on the roster when Piscotty returns, for infield depth with Pinder still recovering from a sprained knee, Melvin said that is unclear.
“I don’t know what the complement looks like after Stephen gets back and we’ve got Pinder coming back at some point in time too,” Melvin said. “So we’ll have some decisions to make at some point.”
Briefly: Mike Fiers, recovering from back and hip issues, threw 77 pitches in an alternate site scrimmage Thursday and is scheduled to pitch again Tuesday, after which the A’s could activate him … Melvin is set to manage his 1,471st game for the A’s on Sunday, which would tie Tony La Russa’s Oakland record. The A’s franchise record, held by Connie Mack ,is 7,396.