Pinder has a Chance to Make Athletics Platoon Plans at Second Base Vanish

After starting Friday against a left-hander, the right-handed hitting Chad Pinder was in the lineup again Saturday against a righty. While Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin has talked about a platoon at second base, more important is going with a hot bat, which is what Pinder has been through Summer Camp.

All through spring training and again through Summer Camp, A’s manager Bob Melvin said the plan was to have a platoon at second base.

He had two right-handed batters, Franklin Barreto and Chad Pinder and two lefties, Tony Kemp and Rule 5 addition Vimael Machin from whom to choose.

Two games into the season, however, it’s been all Pinder.

He started against the left-handed Andrew Heaney of the Angels Friday and he was back in the lineup Saturday with the Angels throwing the right-handed Dylan Bundy.

That’s a bit of a surprise in that the A’s are a heavily right-handed hitting team. First baseman is the only left-handed bat that regularly plays, although another lefty, left fielder Robbie Grossman, was in the lineup Saturday over Mark Canha, who started in left on Friday.

In the end, Melvin said, you go with the hot hand. Pinder tore up Summer Camp pitching. And when the A’s were struggling against the Angels for the first seven innings Friday, Pinder had one of Oakland’s three hits.

“He’s been consistent, like we’ve said since we’ve cone back,” Melvin said Saturday morning before Game 2 against the Angels, “He’s had a lot of good swings against right-handers, too. You saw that again yesterday. The first time he pops up, the second time he lines out and the third time, against a righty, he hits a line drive and we wind up pinch-running for him.

“So that’s what it’s going to look like some in a 60-game season. If you have a guy that’s swinging a hot bat, you’re going to want him in the lineup. And that’s why he’s in there today.”

In the past, Pinder has gotten most of his playing time in the outfield. Last year he got 77 games in the outfield (61 starts). In the infield it was 38 games and 20 starts. But that was last year, when Stephen Piscotty and Ramon Laureano spent big chunks of time injured.

This time around, those two are healthy, as are the other prime outfield candidates, Grossman and Canha. That makes second base much more inviting. He can play third, but Matt Chapman isn’t going to come out of the lineup willingly.

Thus, Pinder spent his Summer Camp doing more work than ever at second base, although he admits that he just wants to play, and baseball in a time of pandemic has knocked things askew.

“Yeah, it’s a little weird,” he said. “But we’re all just making adjustments as we go. What’s going on around the clubhouse and on and off the field as far as (health and safety) protocols, that’s going to be a major adjustment to go through.

“Everybody knows that we have a job to do, and it’s coming quick. I still feel like a lot of people are kind of getting their bearings. As baseball players, we’re going to adjust to the game.”

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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