Melvin, Athletics Juggle Lineups Pregame While Awaiting Decision on Laureano Suspension

Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin wound up making out two lineups Wednesday based on the possibility that Ramón Laureano's suspension could kick in. With game time getting close, the lineup with Laureano in it won out.

A’s manager Bob Melvin brushed off his best Mel Brooks “Hope for the best, expect the worst” Wednesday by preparing two lineups for Oakland’s series finale against the Angels.

An hour before the game Melvin and the A’s had not heard about a final ruling from Major League Baseball of the status of Oakland center fielder Ramón Laureano. He’d been hit Tuesday with a six-game suspension for his part in Sunday’s brawl in Oakland between the A’s and the Houston Astros.

Laureano appealed the ruling, and a decision was expected on Wednesday, so Melvin had no choice but to have one lineup with Laureano in it and one without Laureano.

Finally, at 12:30 p.m., 40 minutes before the scheduled first pitch in Angel Stadium, the lineup was posted with Laureano batting second and in center field as per usual. That may mean that the A’s have an indication that no final decision on Laureano would be ready before Wednesday’s game.

The A’s are expecting to have to suspension reduced some, perhaps to five or four games, but have zero expectations that the suspension would be completely scrubbed.

Asked about his lineup, which is usually released about three or four hours before the first pitch, Melvin said in a video conference call, “It’s probably going to come down at noon today.”

It didn’t.

“That’s the decision whether or not he’s playing today,” Melvin said. “So I’m waiting like anybody else. We’ve made up a couple of lineups, and we’ve let (the Angels) know exactly what it looks like. Hopefully there will be a decision made and I can get a lineup to you.”

The A’s are due for a day off Thursday, then would have a weekend road series across the Bay in San Francisco followed by a couple of games against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

That being the case, with no ruling coming down before Wednesday’s game, and assuming at least one game will be cut from the original suspension, it’s most likely that Laureano wouldn’t miss any games against American League West competition.

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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