Notes: Canha sits; Puk, Luzardo throw

ANAHEIM -- Mark Canha was absent from the starting lineup in Sunday's series finale against the Angels with elbow soreness after getting hit by a pitch on Saturday, A’s manager Bob Melvin said during a pregame media conference.

“He's a little sore,” Melvin said. “It swelled up toward the end of the game yesterday. That's why [Luis Barrera] hit for him late, so we'll give [Canha] a day off today, get some treatment and hopefully come tomorrow he's that much better. But it got him pretty good.”

Canha exited Saturday’s 6-2 victory in Anaheim after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning by Angels lefty Patrick Sandoval. The HBP was also the 63rd time Canha has been plunked while with the Athletics, moving him into sole possession of second place all-time in franchise history for most HBPs.

Prior to his exit, Canha had gone 2-for-3 with two runs, including a triple to lead off the game and a double to right-center field in his second at-bat.

Luzardo and Puk continuing rehab
Left-handers A.J. Puk (biceps strain) and Jesús Luzardo (left hand/pinkie fracture) were both able to get work in on Saturday as a part of their respective rehab processes.

Puk, the A’s No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, threw two-thirds of an inning and allowed four hits and three runs, including a home run, in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Luzardo, meanwhile, threw a bullpen session in Anaheim ahead of Saturday’s contest. Melvin said Luzardo threw 51 pitches during the session, including all of the pitches in his repertoire.

Both hurlers will be evaluated further to determine the next steps for their respective rehabs, Melvin added.

The bats are booming
The A’s have slugged it out in Anaheim. Across the first two games, seven different Oakland hitters had homered in the series.

Ten of the 14 runs scored by the A’s came via the long ball, adding to a stretch where the A’s have relied on their power stroke. Over the last 30 days, the A’s ranked third in MLB in homers, entering Sunday with 40 in that span.

Matt Olson, who came into Sunday tied for the team lead with 11, said that power has always been there for the A’s.

“We've always kind of had that in the lineup,” the power-hitting first baseman said. “Anybody can leave the yard at any given time and sometimes stuff like that is just contagious.”

Olson said the power numbers in the weekend series have carried over from a the team's mid-May road series against the Twins that saw the A’s combine to hit six homers in three games.

“Some balls started leaving and it just kept catching on and that's part of our game,” Olson said. “It has been for a few years now.”