Notes: Murphy returns; Tom shows worth

There was no easing back into action for A’s catcher Sean Murphy, and that’s just the way he wanted his return to play to be.

Making his Cactus League debut in Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Padres in Peoria, Ariz., Murphy settled in behind the plate for the first inning and immediately dealt with command issues from a typically accurate Sean Manaea. The left-hander spiked two fastballs in the dirt for wild pitches, and a third pitch that got by Murphy was ruled a passed ball, forcing the catcher to be on his toes from the jump in his first game back since undergoing emergency surgery to repair a collapsed lung this offseason.

“Those were the first game-speed blocks I’ve done,” Murphy said. “I’ve done some stuff off the machine, but it’s hard to replicate game-like conditions. I found out I was a little late. I wasn’t getting to the balls quick enough, so now I’ve got something to work on. I’m glad it got exposed early so we can clean it up for the season.”

A’s manager Bob Melvin was pleased with what he saw from the 26-year-old catcher in his first game back.

“Sean [Manaea] made him work early on with all those balls in the dirt,” Melvin said. “It’s just about getting your feet underneath you and getting at-bats. We’ll give him tomorrow off [behind the plate] and maybe get him a couple of DH at-bats and then we’ll play him the next day. He looks fine to me.”

There are high expectations for Murphy as he comes off a strong rookie campaign, in which he led the A’s in OPS (1.062) and home runs (five) over the final month of the season and slashed .277/.424/.638 across 16 games in September. Lauded for his keen eye at the plate, that skill was immediately present on Thursday as he worked a five-pitch walk in his first at-bat before finishing 0-for-3 in 5 1/2 innings of action.

“I think I saw the ball all right,” Murphy said. “I swung at some pitches I wanted to swing at and took the ones that were off. The way I saw it, I was pretty happy with it.

“As far as today, those five innings went really well. We’re going to ramp it up and I see nothing standing in the way of me being ready for Opening Day.”

Tom hits a bomb
Ka’ai Tom returned to camp knowing time would be of the essence, after an oblique injury sidelined him early in spring. Involved in a battle for the fourth outfield spot on the A’s roster, he’s quickly showing his worth.

Tom crushed a solo shot to right field off Padres reliever Michel Baez in the fifth inning on Thursday as part of a two-hit day. In three Cactus League games, Tom is now 5-for-10 with one home run, one double and three RBIs.

“He does that often in batting practice,” Melvin said of Tom. “It was an offspeed pitch he got in front of and he was able to get the barrel on it. That’s part of his game. For a little guy, he generates some power. It didn’t surprise us.”

A Rule 5 Draft pick by the A’s this winter, Tom must make Oakland's Opening Day 26-man roster and remain there all season, or be offered back to his original club, Cleveland, for $50,000. The 26-year-old outfielder continues to show more pop than you would expect from his 5-foot-9 frame. In 132 games at Double-A and Triple-A in 2019, Tom combined to hit .290 with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs.

UP NEXT
The A’s return home to Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz., for a 1:05 p.m. PT game against the Cubs on Friday. Right-hander Frankie Montas takes the mound for his second spring start. Right-hander Zach Davies will start for Chicago.