The A’s welcomed Ramón Laureano back from his 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug on Sunday in Minnesota, but the veteran outfielder did little to change his team’s fortune.
Laureano, who went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his first major league game since August 4, 2021, watched from the on-deck circle as center fielder Cristian Pache popped out to Twins second baseman Jorge Polanco with two on and two out in the ninth inning to extend a miserable losing streak to nine games.
The A’s brought the tying run to third and the go-ahead run to second in the top of the ninth against Twins right-hander Emilio Pagan, but Pache, who is hitting just .169 this season, was unable to capitalize at the end of a 4-3 loss.
An A’s offense that has ranked among the worst in the majors over the last two weeks took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single from Chad Pinder and a 3-1 lead in the third following a two-run single from Seth Brown, but starter Daulton Jefferies was unable to record a shutdown inning as the Twins rallied for three runs thanks to hits from Jose Miranda and Polanco.
After providing Jefferies with early run support, Oakland’s offense returned to the form it has shown amid a streak that has sent the A’s tumbling to the bottom of the American League West standings. Following Brown’s hit in the third, the A’s didn’t record another hit until Christian Bethancourt singled off Pagan to keep the A’s hopes alive in the ninth.
Laureano’s return came as the A’s placed another veteran outfielder, Stephen Piscotty, on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain. To clear a 40-man roster spot for Laureano, Oakland designated pitcher Jorge Juan for assignment.
Since becoming a mainstay with the A’s during the second half of the 2018 season, Laureano has been a consistent source of power and a solid defender with a reputation for having one of the best throwing arms in the majors. He has also brought an upbeat personality to an Oakland team that’s been a playoff contender whenever he’s been on the field.
His return on Sunday after a rough stint at Triple-A Las Vegas where Laureano hit .135 and slugged .189 provided a sharp contrast to the last time he played the outfield for the A’s. Prior to Laureano’s suspension for using nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, the A’s were 13 games over .500, in position to secure a wild card berth and riding a high following impressive trade deadline acquisitions such as Starling Marte, Josh Harrison and Andrew Chafin.
Marte’s arrival in Oakland compelled Laureano to shift from center field to right field, where he could show off that elite arm, but the pair barely played together as Marte was only settling in when Laureano was suspended for the remainder of the season.
A 12-15 September prevented the A’s from making the postseason, and upon Laureano’s return on Sunday, the organization is in a far different place than it was when he last played. Gone are former All-Star teammates Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and Chris Bassitt and in their place are a new cast of unproven players who will try to prevent an ugly losing streak from reaching double digits on Monday in Detroit against the Tigers.
One of those unproven players attempting to prove he can be a long-term asset to the A’s is Pache, who will continue to play center field even with Laureano back in the fold. Despite his impressive speed and range in the outfield and his propensity to make highlight-reel catches, Pache’s at-bats have left a lot to be desired.
After finishing 0-for-4 with a strikeout on Sunday, Pache is 8-for-his-last-66 with 16 strikeouts. His .121 average since April 15 must be a growing concern for the A’s, but with Piscotty being placed on the injured list Sunday, there’s not exactly a heated competition for playing time in Oakland outfield.
Though offense is down across the majors this season, few if any teams have regressed as much as the A’s, who actually improved their team batting average of .200 by going 7-for-34 with one extra-base hit on Sunday.
Lowrie scratched
A’s veteran Jed Lowrie was scratched from Sunday’s game with lower back tightness, but was available off the bench against Minnesota.
Source: www.mercurynews.com