NewsEllis absence to open up options at third
Oakland (33-44) at Cleveland (31-48), 4:05 p.m. PT
By Mychael Urban / MLB.com
07/01/09 7:48 PM ET
OAKLAND -- Picked up in early May to fill in for injured second baseman Mark Ellis, Adam Kennedy made his first career start at third base when Ellis came off the disabled list Sunday, and he's been on the hot corner all week. That likely will change Friday, as Ellis is expected to miss the opener of a three-game series in Cleveland. Sarah Ellis, Mark's wife, is pregnant with the couple's second child and will have labor induced at a local hospital Thursday. The length of time from the start of the induction process to delivery varies wildly, so Ellis is giving himself some wiggle room with a late-afternoon flight to Cleveland on Friday. Ellis said the baby on the way is a girl. He and Sarah have an infant son, Briggs. With Ellis out for the series opener against the Indians, Kennedy is expected to move back to second base for the day, with Bobby Crosby stepping in at third, but nothing is set in stone because several variables are in play. A's manager Bob Geren said utility infielder Nomar Garciaparra, tentatively scheduled to start at designated hitter Friday against Tribe lefty David Huff, might be ready to play third base. "He's moving around pretty good in the field," Geren said of Garciaparra, who has been limited by a strained right calf for much of the season. Also a potential factor: Jason Giambi's sore legs. Giambi told Geren he was fine to play first base on Wednesday, in part because he'll have Thursday to rest. If Giambi needs to play at designated hitter on Friday, Geren has plenty of options. Garciaparra and Crosby both can play first base, as can backup catcher Landon Powell. Pitching matchupOAK: RHP Trevor Cahill (5-6, 4.23 ERA)
After pitching like a 10-year veteran his previous time out, with seven innings of one-run ball, Cahill, 21, let his youth show last Saturday. Colorado tagged him for four home runs, and he gave up seven runs on eight hits, needing 82 pitches to get through 3 2/3 innings. It was the first time an Oakland pitcher had allowed four home runs in a game since Barry Zito was dealt the same hand in a 14-0 loss to the Rangers on Aug. 9, 2006. Cahill, who hadn't allowed more than three runs in any of his seven starts prior to facing the Rockies, will look to bounce back in his first career start against Cleveland. CLE: LHP David Huff (3-3, 6.26 ERA)
Huff had shown some sort of improvement pretty much every time he took the mound in his first eight starts in the big leagues, but he took his first step back against the Reds on Sunday. In five innings of work, Huff allowed seven runs, six of which were earned, on nine hits with a walk and three strikeouts. He did not possess the command that had made him so effective in some of the earlier outings. This will be his first career start against the A's. Dribblers ...
As of Wednesday, there were no plans to shuffle the starting rotation in the wake of Thursday's day off. ... The A's are expected to announce the signing of a handful international prospects on Thursday, though none on the level of last year's signing of teen pitching sensation Michael Ynoa out of the Dominican Republic. Ynoa, who got a club-record $4.25 million signing bonus, has been sidelined this season with an right elbow injury. ... The A's announced Wednesday that they've agreed to terms with two players from the 2009 First-Year Player Draft: right-handers Connor Hoehn, a 12th-round selection out of St. Petersburg (Fla.) Junior College, and Chris Mederos (25th round, Georgia Southern). Oakland has signed or agreed to terms with 23 of its 49 selections from the Draft, including four of their first eight. ... Nine members of the Double-A Midland RockHounds were named to the Texas League's Southern Division All-Star team: infielders Chris Carter, Adrian Cardenas, Josh Horton and Tommy Everidge (now with Triple-A Sacramento); catcher Josh Donaldson; and righties Travis Banwart, Sam Demel, Jason Fernandez and Graham Godfrey. Tickets
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• Saturday: Athletics (Vin Mazzaro, 2-3, 2.95) at Indians (Carl Pavano, 6-7, 5.56), 4:05 p.m. PT
• Sunday: Athletics (Brett Anderson, 4-7, 5.45) at Indians (Cliff Lee, 4-7, 3.39), 10:05 a.m. PT
• Monday: Athletics (Gio Gonzalez, 0-2, 7.27) at Red Sox (TBD), 4:10 p.m. PT
Mychael Urban is a national writer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
