--3B Eric Chavez, serving as the designated hitter in the A's second Cactus League game, singled in his first at-bat of the spring. Chavez, who had surgery on his right shoulder in August, is scheduled to play five innings in the field on March 3. He has had no trouble throwing throughout the spring.
--2B Mark Ellis (right shoulder surgery) has increased his throwing from three days a week to every day, and he might be allowed to DH in games when he feels comfortable enough to slide. Ellis is not scheduled to play in the field until March 25. He has been taking batting practice with the team. --RHP Justin Duchscherer is unlikely to make his first Cactus League start until March 12 because of elbow soreness. Duchscherer has a similar problem every spring. In 2006, it cost him six weeks, and in 2007, he did not make his first appearance until March 25 because of a sore elbow. He threw 20 pitches off the mound with no discomfort on Feb. 26.
--1B Daric Barton was held back from the first several Cactus League games as he worked on his conditioning following October hip surgery. The second-year player got a pinch-hit at-bat (and grounded out) on Feb. 27 and was expected to make his spring start March 1 as a DH. Jason Giambi and Chris Carter have been playing first in Barton's absence.
--OF Jack Cust hit a home run in his first Cactus League game on Feb. 26 despite missing several days of activity because of illness. Cust is expected to primarily play the outfield this spring because there's a strong likelihood that Jason Giambi will do the majority of the DH work during the season. Cust is playing right field now that Matt Holliday is in left field.
BY THE NUMBERS: 118 -- Number of major league starts, combined, by the pitchers on Oakland's 40-man roster. Non-roster starters Jerome Williams and Edgar Gonzalez almost match that -- Williams has 71 and Gonzalez 35.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It was good for us -- it got us out of our comfort zone. We've learned patience." -- A's general manager Billy Beane on the team's shift from drafting college pitchers to high school players, many of whom are in Oakland's big-league camp for the first time this year.
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