OAKLAND — Tuesday was another day without Stephen Vogt, but the A’s are reasonably optimistic it will be the last day their catcher/first baseman won’t be with them.
Vogt was resting at home for a second day after having been hit by a foul tip in the groin Sunday. He had a second ultrasound, which confirmed the findings of the first — that there is no rupture and that it won’t require surgery.
Still, manager Bob Melvin said it could be a while before Vogt returns to the starting lineup. The A’s leave Thursday for a 10-game road trip through Texas, Chicago and Houston, and Vogt will go with them.
The club is optimistic enough that Vogt won’t need too much time on bench, and there are no plans to bring in another catcher to supplement Josh Phegley and rookie Carson Blair.
Melvin said he’s comfortable starting Blair if the need arises. He made his big-league debut Sunday, replacing Vogt.
— Center fielder Craig Gentry, who has been with Triple-A Nashville since late May, was back in Oakland Tuesday along with Max Muncy.
“I’m going to take the positive out of it. It was a good experience,” Gentry said of his stay in Nashville.
He wound up hitting .256 in Nashville after a slow start. “It was a difficult experience, but a good one. I’m happy to be back. I’m excited to be up there, hopefully to finish the season on a good note.”
Gentry got off to a terrible start and was hitting .079 before being sent to Nashville for good on May 25.
Asked how he resuscitated his swing, he said he gave up tinkering on a daily basis.
“It’s tough to hit when you’re not comfortable and you’re not seeing the ball very well. You can’t get hits on something you can’t see. That’s really all I was trying to focus on, getting comfortable and getting some confidence to see the ball. Your mechanics kind of fall into place after that.
“You think it’s something mechanical, but that’s not always the case. Maybe you just need a couple of hits to get yourself going. The immature move on my part was coming in and thinking something was wrong with my swing all the time and trying to change stuff up. That’s not always the case.”
— Outfielder Sam Fuld (back) hasn’t played in a game since Aug. 30 and has just one at-bat since Aug. 23, but he could be ready to start for the A’s as soon as Wednesday. Melvin said Fuld’s back is improving daily, and that he might be available as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement Tuesday night.
— Right-handed starter Chris Bassitt hasn’t throw a ball since shoulder issues cropped up during his start on Aug. 26, but that could change this weekend, Melvin said. Bassitt, whose 2.82 ERA belied the bad luck of a 1-6 record, wants to start a game again before the end of the season, but that possibility is geting less likely by the day. Citing the amount of time it takes to build up arm strength for a starting pitcher, Melvin implied that a relief appearance was more likely.
— Right-handed starter Kendall Graveman, like Bassitt, is unlikely to go with Oakland on the upcoming 10-game road trip. Instead, he likely will stay in the East Bay and work on strengthening his left side. His strained oblique is enough of a deterrent that he’s unlikely to pitch again this season.
— A’s pinch-hitters are 12-for-16, .750, over their last 10 games.
