When Eric Chavez volunteered to come back to be a designated hitter way back in the spring, the A's told the six-time Gold Glove third baseman that they wanted him to be ready to play third base when he returned.
That plan changed slightly when Frank Thomas was placed on the disabled list Thursday with inflammation in his right quadriceps. Chavez, who had been scheduled to continue his rehab assignment at Class AAA Sacramento through June 3, came back Thursday, instead, and he was in the lineup at DH. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in his first game of the season, and he will play third base Friday night at Texas. He'll either play third or DH Saturday, and swap around Sunday, as he works his way back into the full-time job at third.
Chavez said his bat was a little slow in the A's loss Thursday, but he said that was because of a lack of sleep (he had to get up at 4 a.m. to make it to Oakland for the day game). He hit .367 in nine games with Sacramento.
With Chavez's return, Jack Hannahan's playing time will take a hit. Mike Sweeney, who was expected to DH in Thomas' absence, has had some right knee soreness, but he's likely to hold down those duties when Chavez plays third.
BLUE JAYS 12, A'S 0: Working on two days' extra rest after the A's tweaked their rotation, left-hander Dana Eveland was beaten up by Toronto, allowing 11 hits and seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. Eveland was coming off a complete-game victory over Tampa Bay in which he'd allowed only three hits. Oakland recorded seven hits against Jesse Litsch in seven innings but couldn't get anyone across, hitting into three double plays. Jack Cust made a baserunning mistake and also made an error in left.
