Melvin: Semien could miss series
Oakland A’s shortstop Marcus Semien wasn’t in the lineup for Friday’s series opener against the San Diego Padres, and manager Bob Melvin isn’t expecting him for the series.
The ironman shortstop isn’t one to miss games — before Saturday, he hadn’t missed a start in 276 straight games, but a left side injury kept him out of the second game of the doubleheader against the Astros. The A’s haven’t played a game since due to Daniel Mengden’s positive coronavirus test result Sunday.
“It’s just not something I’m used to,” Semien said. “As I get older and mature, I understand that you need to get something right. To know there’s a bigger picture at the end of the season and not just today’s game.”
Semien had felt a similar side pain at some point during the previous two seasons, but he couldn’t ignore the pain he felt taking hacks in the cage between the doubleheader games.
“When I faced (Lance) McCullers my last at bat, I didn’t feel too hot,” Semien, 29, said. “I’m the type of guy that tries to grind through things. In the past, things have just gone away. This was more intense.”
Semien had an MRI and CT scan done while his team played their last game in Houston, and the results
didn’t show any further or serious injury.
“It sucks,” he said. “These are important games I want to be part of. But the most important thing is getting back healthy for the end of the season.”
Friday, Semien took swings off a tee in the cage. Since the A’s were cleared from quarantine on Tuesday and allowed to practice Wednesday, Semien did sprints and took ground balls. He hasn’t taken batting practice, but he’s preparing, mentally, as if he’s available off the bench.
Semien isn’t wired to miss games, but he feels a responsibility to take his recovery slow. He avoids an IL stint, but the timetable for his return is murky. Though, Melvin was encouraged by some of the activities he’s done since the A’s have been allowed back onto the field.
“I haven’t even heard that (he’d taken swings off a tee) yet,” Melvin said. “So, if that’s the case, that’s a good thing. If he’s not playing, it means it’s a pretty significant thing with him. But it looks like we’re gaining some ground. I really don’t know.”
Vimael Machin played shortstop for Friday’s game against the Padres against right-handed pitcher Zach Davies. Chad Pinder, who returned from paternity leave, is expected to play shortstop against left-handed pitchers while Semien recovers.
A’s return to action after ‘stressful’ hiatus
A pile of Starbucks bags littered Liam Hendriks’ Houston hotel room floor by the time he was cleared to escape the league-mandated quarantine.
“I’d gotten very familiar with Uber Eats,” Hendriks said.
Five days will have separated news of Daniel Mengden’s coronavirus positive test Sunday morning and the A’s game against the San Diego Padres Friday. Four games were postponed, which means three doubleheaders within the week are on the A’s horizon.
“We’re treating it kind of like an All-Star break,” Melvin said.
In those five quasi All-Star Break days, the A’s spent at least two nights locked away in their Texas hotel rooms — they rested, did small spacefriendly workouts and drafted for the team Fantasy Football league. Half the team, including Hendriks, left for the Bay Area Tuesday after testing negative for the virus. Others, most of whom had sat near Mengden in the auxiliary dugout, stayed back an extra day for additional testing.
While locked solo in his room, Hendriks — who is atrisk with an autoimmune liver disease — considered the worstcase scenario. With his wife, Kristi, he discussed opting out of the season should an outbreak occur within the team.
“It was stressful, to put it very lightly,” Hendriks said. “It’s been a roller coaster and I’m glad we got through that stage as a team.”
Marcus Semien had gotten an MRI on his left side the day before news of Mengden’s positive test hit his phone in a text message. He saw the negative and twisted it into an immediate positive.
“I think us being on the road, it might’ve actually been a blessing because we would have been home around our families wondering if we were positive,” said Semien, who lives in the East Bay with his wife and two boys.
Unwelcome reality hit the A’s, and left a mark. They had two days, Wednesday and Thursday, to slip back into baseball mode. A surging Padres team is in Oakland to greet them.
“Well I’m really excited that we had a week off and we get to face the Padres,” Hendriks said, with a hint of sarcasm. “‘Slam Diego’ or whatever people are calling them. So that’s alotoffun.”
There’s only so much preparation the team can do to make up for lost time.
Hendriks entered Friday’s game with a 1.10 ERA, 10 saves, 0.8 WAR, 23 strikeouts, a .67 WHIP and two total earned runs in 16.1 innings. Marks that put him as arguably the most dominant closer in baseball. Only Los Angeles Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen and Cleveland Indians’ Brad Hand have as many saves, a count that leads baseball.