OAKLAND, Calif. — The A’s opened the season with two of their three starting outfielders — Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick — on the disabled list, but Reddick is on track to be activated Saturday when Oakland plays the Seattle Mariners in the second game of a three-game series.
Before Oakland’s 3-1 loss to the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, Reddick hit in a simulated game against right-hander Jarrod Parker, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent in March 2014.
Did Reddick hold back?
“Noooo, not at all, no,” the A’s right fielder said. “I don’t want to half-effort something out there, then come back here and turn it right into a 150 percent effort level and risk hurting something. It’s been about a week, a week and a half’s worth of not holding back and letting everything fly.”
Reddick went 1-for-4 in a minor league simulated game Monday in Arizona, and he will play a rehab game Thursday for Class A Stockton at San Bernardino.
“He wasn’t in the field today, but his swings looked good,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “They were aggressive. He’s not having any problems, so I don’t think there’s any doubt he’ll be on track for Saturday.”
Parker continued to make tremendous progress, too, Melvin said. Parker will throw three innings in a simulated game Monday in Arizona at extended spring training.
“He looked like he has the last couple times out,” Melvin said. “If you didn’t know the difference, you’d think he was pitching in a real game.”
Reddick said he flied out three times against Parker.
“He had a lot of movement, curveball, changeup,” Reddick said. “His two-seamer was moving a lot. Good (velocity). He seemed to have great command of everything. It was different to see him back out on the mound. It seems like it’s been four years since we’ve seen him out there. It’s been a while (since) I’ve stood in front of him. He seemed to have a lot of life on everything. He looked fantastic.”