Daric

Barton

Barton will, however, work out at first base this spring, and a permanent switch might not be far away. A good spring could allow Barton to open the season in Double-A.

Barton, who turns 20 next week, is batting .302/.387/.500 in 30 games since his promotion to the Texas League.

The A’s have said that they think Barton can handle the outfield. There’s a good chance that the 20-year-old will end up as a long-term DH, but it’d be nice if he had some defensive value.

It was his 20th birthday. Barton is batting .322/.418/.524 in 39 games in the Texas League.

Barton is expected to see a doctor Wednesday. Barton’s bat might be major league-ready now, but the A’s want him to work on his defense at first base. The injury further complicates his timetable.

He’s out indefinitely. Barton isn’t scheduled to play in Arizona Fall League, so his year could be over. Perhaps the A’s will ask him to play winter ball to make up for all of the lost time.

Barton had been out since May 23 with a fractured left elbow. Since Dan Johnson is currently playing first base at Triple-A Sacramento, the A’s might not be in any hurry to put Barton back at his previous level.

Any chance of Barton having an impact with the A’s this season is all but gone, but he remains a big part of the team’s future.

Barton had arthroscopic surgery on September 12 to repair a partial tear of the labrum in his right shoulder. He’s expected to compete for the first base job next spring, but Brandon Allen has a leg up on him. That’s assuming the A’s don’t non-tender him over the offseason, which is a possibility.

The A’s are easing Barton back into action following surgery last September to repair a partial labrum tear in his right shoulder. The 26-year-old went 0-for-3 with two walks as the DH on Monday in his spring debut.