GOODYEAR, Ariz. — He’s played all over the infield in his career.
Now Chad Pinder will have his duties expanded even more.
The A’s will look to give the utility man some time in the outfield, trying to pave an easier path to a full-time spot in the majors. Oakland is stocked with young players at third base and second base. Marcus Semien is entrenched at shortstop, with 2015 first-round pick Richie Martin progressing through the pipeline too.
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The A’s think highly of Pinder’s bat. He got his first taste of the majors in September, but it’s tough to envision how he fits into the current major league mix.
So the A’s will utilize the “V” word — versatility — that they love so much.
“I think if you’re looking at the next ‘Rosie’ type guy in our organization, it could be Pinder,” manager Bob Melvin said, referencing jack-of-all-positions player Adam Rosales.
Given the surplus of infielders — and relative lack of prime outfield prospects — in the A’s farm sytem, it makes sense to experiment. Renato Nunez, a young third baseman whose bat is ahead of his glove, will see time in left field now that he’s been sent to minor league camp.
Oakland Athletics
HEALTH UPDATE: Stephen Vogt was back behind the plate for the first time in a week after being hindered by right heel soreness. His mobility got tested very early, when he hustled out a double in the top of the first.
“It was a good day,” Vogt said. “It felt very good. I had to work a little bit behind the plate too.”
NOTEWORTHY: Ryon Healy smoked a two-run homer deep on the grass in left-center at Goodyear Ballpark, the most impressive blast of the three home runs the A’s hit in a 6-5 loss to the Cleveland Indians. It was the third spring homer for Healy, who leads the A’s with 12 RBI.
Franklin Barreto and Rosales also went deep.
CAMP BATTLE: Andrew Triggs started on the hill for Oakland and labored through a three-run first that included lots of hard contact. He steadied himself over the next two innings but got touched for three more runs in the fourth and was done after 3 2/3 innings, giving up six runs on five hits and two walks.
“Obviously I wasn’t happy with the results,” Triggs said. “Once we settled, the fastball command was better. … You work yourself into lousy counts, you can’t expect to have a whole lot of success. My goal coming in was to get to the fifth and I didn’t do that, so that’s what I was frustrated about.”
On the bright side, Triggs faced the dangerous Edwin Encarnacion twice and struck him out both times. The A’s made a big-time run at Encarnacion in the winter but lost out to Cleveland for the slugging first baseman.
Triggs, trying to win a rotation spot, hadn’t given up more than one earned run in any of his previous three outings.
FAMILIAR FACE: Former A’s reliever Dan Otero threw a scoreless inning against his old team. It was Otero’s first time facing Vogt since he joined the Indians’ bullpen last season. He coaxed a pop out.
“We were smiling, texting back and forth last night saying ‘I hope we get it out of the way during spring training,’” Vogt said. “He’s one of my best friends in all of baseball.”
ODDS AND ENDS: Lefty Ross Detwiler, who got knocked around in his previous outing, rebounded with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts. … Jharel Cotton threw in a Triple-A game Wednesday as the A’s were off. He went four-plus innings and allowed a run, getting his pitch count up over 70.