Lowrie shows glimpse of old form with blast

When Jed Lowrie reunited with the A’s on a Minor League deal last month, the idea of him rekindling the 2018 All-Star magic from his last stint with the club was talked about mostly in jest.

But something about wearing the green and gold again really seems to be rejuvenating the veteran second baseman.

Lowrie, who turns 37 next month, has looked healthy in games this spring as he returns from offseason surgery to repair his left knee. Playing his fifth Cactus League game in Tuesday’s 12-3 loss to the D-backs in Scottsdale, Ariz., Lowrie smashed his first hit of spring, a solo home run off left-hander Madison Bumgarner.

The switch-hitting Lowrie had to wait a long time for a hit in a Major League setting. Tuesday’s solo shot -- which came batting right-handed and sailed an estimated 381 feet up the left-field berm at Salt River Fields at 98.5 mph off the bat -- was his first hit of any kind in a game, regular season or spring, since Sept. 29, 2018, against the Angels during his All-Star season with Oakland. He collected 15 hits in a Minor League rehab assignment with the Mets in 2019.

“He’s had some good swings. I know that was his first hit [this spring] but all his swings look balanced, both left and right-handed,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “You go a couple of games without a hit when you haven’t played in a while, it feels good to get that first hit, even more when it’s a home run.”

Though his spot on the Opening Day roster is not guaranteed, Lowrie not only appears to have the edge in the competition for the second-base job, but his strong ability to make contact and work a pitch count makes him a serious candidate to get regular at-bats in the second spot of the A’s order. Over the final two weeks of spring, staying healthy will be the key, something he was unable to do the past two years as he played just nine games over two seasons with the Mets.

“He’ll DH tomorrow,” Melvin said. “We’re trying to fit him in as many games as we can. He also had a ton of at-bats in simulated games. But he doesn’t look a whole lot different from the last time we had him.”

Luzardo struggles with command

Jesús Luzardo’s first two spring outings have been reminiscent of his 2020 rookie campaign, which saw him post a 4.12 ERA in 12 games (nine starts) with flashes of brilliance as well as struggles. Following up a strong Cactus League debut of three hitless innings against the Rangers last week, the 23-year-old lefty ran into trouble against Arizona on Tuesday.

After surrendering a solo homer to Ketel Marte in the first, Luzardo faced a bases-loaded jam in the third that was partially exacerbated by Elvis Andrus’ error on a grounder. Just two batters later, the D-backs added four runs with back-to-back doubles by Asdrúbal Cabrera and Eduardo Escobar. Another run would end up scoring before Luzardo was pulled with just one out in the third. He finished with six runs (five earned) allowed on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts in just 2 1/3 innings.

“I threw a couple of changeups to Cabrera and Escobar and it looked like they were expecting it,” Luzardo said. “I just have to make better pitches. I have to throw more offspeed pitches for strikes. Overall, it wasn’t too good. It was kind of like a flash of last year how things would just run away in one inning. That’s something that can’t happen during the [regular season]. You have to be able to stop the bleeding.”

The upside for Luzardo is that he still has a couple more starts in the Cactus League to correct the issue before Opening Day. And though Tuesday’s outing was one he’d like to quickly forget, there were still some positives he took away.

“I threw a couple of good curveballs, which is what I’ve been working on,” Luzardo said. “My fastball command was hit or miss at times, which wasn’t good. It wasn’t a great day. My stuff was there, but not the command of it.”

Laureano scratched

Originally in Tuesday’s starting lineup, center fielder Ramón Laureano was scratched with what the A’s announced as left side soreness. The issue crept up after taking swings in the batting cage before the game, and it’s unclear how long it might keep Laureano out of action.

“We’re trying to be proactive and make sure this doesn’t go on too long,” Melvin said. “We’ll know more tomorrow after the doctors see him.”

Up next

The A’s return home to Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz., for a 1:05 p.m. PT game against the Royals on Wednesday. Left-hander A.J. Puk will be making his spring debut in what will be his first game since undergoing shoulder surgery last September. Kansas City will send former A’s left-hander Mike Minor to the mound.