OAKLAND, Calif. — After losing two starting outfielders, Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick, to injuries before the season began, the Oakland A’s found a veteran outfielder in free agency Wednesday.
The A’s signed Cody Ross and immediately put him in the starting lineup in right field against the Texas Rangers.
Ross was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday but wasted little time finding a new job.
“I couldn’t be any more excited,” Ross said before going 1-for-5 with two RBIs and one run in Oakland’s 10-0 rout of Texas. “I know how much fun this team’s had in the past and how successful they’ve been. That had a lot to do with the decision I made. I heard a lot of great things about (manager) Bob Melvin and all the coaching staff and the way the front office runs things. I’m just excited to be here and help out.
“There were quite a few teams that called and had interest. I just felt this was the best fit, the best opportunity.”
Crisp, who was slated to start in left field, will be out six to eight weeks after undergoing right elbow surgery. Reddick is on the disabled list with a strained right oblique but is expected to be activated Saturday.
“With a couple outfielders down, we feel he can increase the outfield depth and give us quite a bit of help against left-handed pitching,” Melvin said. “He can hit left-handed pitching. He’s got some power, he’s got some experience. I know he’s really excited to be here.”
Ross, 34, is a .263 career hitter with 132 home runs and 505 RBIs in 1,064 games in 11 seasons with Detroit, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati, Florida, San Francisco, Boston and Arizona. He helped the Giants win the World Series in 2010, hitting five home runs in the postseason and earning MVP honors in the National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Over the past two seasons with the Diamondbacks, Ross hit a combined 10 home runs. He was hampered by injuries and played only 94 games in 2013 and 83 last season.
“I feel great physically, as good as I’ve felt in a long time,” Ross said. “It’s been a tough couple of years with the hip injury. Last year, I probably came back too soon and ended up costing myself my job. I think if would’ve done it a different way and held out last year and came back this year, it would have been a different story.”
Ross hit .256 with six RBIs in 16 games for Arizona in spring training.