OAKLAND — It was almost too perfect.
With the return of first baseman Matt Olson to the roster Tuesday night, Athletics manager Bob Melvin was able to pencil in a lineup against the visiting Cincinnati Reds that had all the key ingredients of last season’s 97-win season.
Almost.
Olson was back after missing 34 games, but designated hitter Khris Davis, who collided with the left field fence in Pittsburgh Sunday while making a catch, was a late scratch with a hip contusion after originally being in the lineup.
When meeting with reporters before the game, Melvin believed Davis would be batting cleanup, getting protection from in front and behind with Matt Chapman batting third and Olson batting fifth.
“He feels it a little bit, but not enough to keep him out,” Melvin said. “Unfortunately, it knocked him out of the game the other day, but with the off-day, he feels good about DH’ing today.”
So Olson was in and Davis was out as the Athletics opened a six-game homestand hoping for a reversal of fortune following a disastrous 1-8 road trip through Toronto, Boston and Pittsburgh.
The hope is Davis will be back sooner rather than later as the Athletics carried a 15-21 record in the American League West into Tuesday night, good for last place but only 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Houston Astros. The Athletics were 18-18 at the same stage a year ago, four games behind the Astros.
Olson, who had surgery to remove the hamate bone in his right hand, said he wasn’t rushing back to save the day.
“That was the point everybody made, don’t let the results out there speed me up or slow me down,” Olson said. “I was listening to my body the whole time. I think we all believe we’re going to turn this around. It wasn’t a great road trip for us, but kind of the same thing as last year. We didn’t come out with the start we wanted but we’re looking to turn it around.”
Olson, who hit 29 home runs with 84 RBIs in addition to winning a Gold Glove for his defense at first base in 2018, hit .182 (4-for-22) during a five-game rehab stint with the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators.
He had an opposite field home run, two RBIs, three runs and a walk.
More important than the numbers was being pain-free and able to swing without thinking about it.
“I think the biggest thing was taking some awkward swings and seeing if I could do it and everything feels fine,” Olson said. “I was able to trust it a little more. When I took some swings and was a little off-balance, reaching out with the front arm a little bit, it was still fine.”
Melvin communicated with Olson regularly for updates to best determine a return date.
“I was talking to him every day so it was about my discussions with him more than anything else,” Melvin said. “He’s comfortable with his at-bats. He felt great from his first game, he played nine innings at first base. He’s had enough. He feels good and I feel good about where he was at.”
To make room for Olson, outfielder Skye Bolt was optioned to Las Vegas.
BULLPEN HEALTHY: The A’s went in to the homestand with the services of both Lou Trivino and Blake Treinen after having been without one or the other throughout the road trip.
Trivino had a broken fingernail which sidelined him for the early portion of the trip, and Treinen and missed time with a sore elbow later and hasn’t pitched since April 28 against Toronto.
“They’re both good to go,” Melvin said. “We’re losing some games that we did not lose last year. I think we went up to the last couple weeks of the season without losing a game when we had a lead after the seventh inning and that hasn’t been the case this year. Both were down at different times during the last road trip and we did not have a good trip.”
MANAEA PROGRESSING: Left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea threw a 20-pitch bullpen session — all fastballs — as he recovers from shoulder surgery with the hopes he could pitch at some point this season.
“Felt good, looked good,” Melvin said. “So it’s kind of the beginning for him. I know he was excited about getting on the mound and so are we to have him on there.”
GIFTS FROM K.D.: A few hours before the first-pitch, Athletics players were opening boxes, with each receiving a brand new Nintendo Switch, a video game console which has been popular among teammates on road trips.
“I just wanted to do something nice for my teammates,” Davis said in a statement. We’re always supporting each other and this is just a token of my appreciation.”
INJURY NOTES: Outfielder Nick Martini, out for 36 games with a right knee sprain, will do some work on the field and if all checks out he’ll be off to the minors for a rehab assignment.
“He’s going to be out awhile so he’s going to need quite a few at-bats,” Melvin said.
Right-handed starter Marco Estrada, out 16 games with a lumbar strain, doesn’t appear near a return.
“We’re still trying to search for some answers there,” Melvin said.
