Oakland's biggest question mark coming into the season was the young rotation, but the A's rookie pitchers weren't the problem as the team dropped four of its first six games. Instead, it was the beefed up offense, which was stranding runners at a high clip -- 59 in the first six games, the most in the majors. Oakland's cleanup hitters -- usually Matt Holliday -- spent the first week batting .200, and the No. 5 hitters batted .167.
PLAYER NEWS: --INF Nomar Garciaparra returned after missing nearly two games with calf tightness (he came out of Tuesday's game before the second inning started). Garciaparra served as the DH on Friday at Toronto, but manager Bob Geren said he expects Garciaparra to be at third base on Saturday. With the artificial surface in Toronto, Geren doesn't any of his veteran players with injury histories playing three days in a row on the field. Garciaparra went 0-for-5 on Friday.
--RHP Joey Devine is scheduled to see Dr. James Andrews on Monday in Birmingham, Ala., to go over the results of his recent bone and CT scans. Devine, the A's co-closer, is on the 60-day DL and signs point to some sort of elbow surgery. Discomfort in the area has sidelined Devine three times in under a year, and considering the timeline on the DL stay, the team clearly believes the injury to be significant.
--INF Bobby Crosby entered Friday batting .100 and is still trying to get accustomed to playing several new positions. He came up with the bases loaded in the fourth in Toronto and whacked a bases-clearing triple, and he also played well at third base. Manager Bob Geren praised Crosby's heads-up baserunning to wind up with a triple -- Crosby then scored the tying run on a wild pitch by David Purcey.
MEDICAL WATCH:
INF Nomar Garciaparra (right calf tightness) left the April 14 game and did not play April 15. He played on April 17.
3b Eric Chavez (neck, right shoulder stiffness) did not play April 11-1
5, and he won't return before April 19.
RHP Justin Duchscherer (arthroscopic elbow surgery in March 2009) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. There is a chance that when he is able to throw off the mound, he will be moved into the bullpen to try to safeguard his health. He is expected to return in early May.
RHP Joey Devine (sore right elbow) went on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to March 31. He was scheduled for a bone scan and CT scan on April 15.
OF Ben Copeland (sprained left shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. Copeland is a Rule 5 draftee from the Giants.
ROTATION:
LHP Dallas Braden
RHP Trevor Cahill
LHP Dana Eveland
LHP Brett Anderson
LHP Josh Outman
BULLPEN:
RHP Brad Ziegler (closer)
RHP Russ Springer
RHP Santiago Casilla
RHP Michael Wuertz
LHP Jerry Blevins
RHP Sean Gallagher
RHP Andrew Bailey
CATCHERS:
Kurt Suzuki
Landon Powell
INFIELDERS:
1B Jason Giambi
2B Mark Ellis
SS Orlando Cabrera
3B Eric Chavez
INF Nomar Garciaparra
INF Bobby Crosby
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Matt Holliday
CF Ryan Sweeney
RF Travis Buck
DH Jack Cust
OF Rajai Davis
