MESA, Ariz. -- There isn’t much doubting whether Matt Chapman is the same player coming back from last year’s season-ending hip surgery these days.
Working a 3-1 count against Cubs reliever Craig Kimbrel in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s 9-8 loss at Sloan Park, Chapman fully unloaded on a fastball down the middle and sent the ball well up the berm in left-center for a go-ahead solo shot.
With an off-day sandwiched in between, Chapman’s homer was his second in his last two games played as he continues to look like the 2019 version of himself, which smashed a career-high 36 home runs and drove in 91 runs.
“It’s important for him to feel like he’s got his legs underneath. That’s his strength,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “When you hit a ball that looks like a base hit to center field and it goes over the fence by about 20 feet, it just checks all the boxes for you, mentally, that everything is healthy and looks good.”
Finishing the day 1-for-3, Chapman is now 4-for-12 (.333) this spring with two home runs and a double. Also displaying the range that has made him a defensive star at third base, the two-time Gold Glover is quickly making everyone forget about his down 2020 campaign, which limited him to 37 games and a .232 batting average as he was slowed by the hip issue.
“It’s more health with Chappy,” Melvin said. “The best thing happened to him was the first ground ball he got this spring was a play that only Matt Chapman makes and he made it like he normally does. We feel awfully good about his health.”
Rosenthal improving
The A’s appear to have avoided a more serious injury with new closer Trevor Rosenthal.
After pushing back what was scheduled to be his spring debut on Monday due to a slight groin strain, Melvin said the right-hander was feeling much better on Tuesday and is expected to begin to throw again in the next couple of days.
“I think the plan is for him to throw today or tomorrow,” Melvin said. “He’s going to try to keep throwing here and hopefully we get him on the mound later this week. I think he’s responded well to the treatment the last couple of days.”
Rosenthal, 30, is coming off a superb 2020 campaign, having combined for a 1.90 ERA with 11 saves and 38 strikeouts across 23 2/3 innings with the Royals and Padres last season. He is expected to take over the A’s closer role that was previously occupied by Liam Hendriks, who signed with the White Sox as a free agent on Jan. 15.
Arms building up
• Left-hander A.J. Puk and right-hander Frankie Montas both threw two innings in a sim game at the A’s training facility in Mesa on Tuesday. Puk, ranked by MLB Pipeline as Oakland’s No. 2 prospect, will throw again to hitters on March 13, and his following outing could come in a Cactus League game.
• Left-hander Jesús Luzardo is slated to make his Cactus League debut on Thursday in a road game against the Rangers in Surprise.
Up next
The A’s return home to Hohokam Stadium in Mesa for a 12:05 p.m. PT game against the Brewers on Wednesday. Right-hander Chris Bassitt, whose strong 2020 campaign earned him American League Cy Young Award votes, will be making his spring debut. Left-hander Jake Diekman and right-handers Lou Trivino, James Kaprielian and Deolis Guerra are also expected to be available to pitch.