A’s outfielder Ramón Laureano has become prolific at throwing runners out, with his 19 outfield assists since debuting in August 2018 the most in the Major Leagues over that time. But he believes he needs to cut down on the assists in order to improve his defense.

That last sentence might sound confusing, but there’s a method to Laureano’s madness.

While Laureano has developed quite the highlight reel of jaw-dropping catches and throws over the past two years, one area of his game that has often been criticized is how he pursues fly balls in center field. What might look to be routine fly balls have often fallen behind Laureano. However, he’s often been able to offset those poor routes by showing off his cannon of an arm to nab runners trying to take an extra base as a result of fallen hits.

Considered a tireless worker in all aspects of the game by teammates and coaches, Laureano has been hard at work in practice to improve his route-running. Among those adjustments has been playing much deeper in the outfield, setting up at about the 320-foot mark in center. This allows him to get a better jump on balls, which he said will lead to more putouts but also likely fewer chances to throw runners out -- and thereby fewer of the top plays he's become accustomed to making so far.

“My average depth is deeper,” Laureano said. “Some situations you might play shallow, but overall I’m playing deeper. I feel confident out there. I feel like the team can get the most out of me playing deeper. If I catch the doubles, I don’t have to throw guys out at home or at third.”

An example of Laureano’s new positioning was evident in the second inning of Sunday’s 6-4 win over the Angels. Playing deep with Jason Castro at the plate, Laureano chased down a slicing line drive to deep left-center for a running catch at the warning track. The 2019 version of Laureano may not have been able to reach that ball.

“He’s trying to run a little bit smoother. He’s been working on his gait," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "Sometimes he’s pretty harsh in the way he runs. It’s pretty physical. Kirk Gibson was that way when he first started playing the outfield with the Tigers. The ball starts bouncing on you a little bit, and if you get a smoother gait, it doesn’t do that. He’s been working hard on that and looked good going after that ball.”

Lineup tweaks
After a day off in Sunday’s win, Khris Davis returned to the A’s lineup Monday and was moved down to the sixth spot in the order, where he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the 3-0 win. Davis has grown accustomed to batting fourth or fifth through most of his Oakland career, but with an 0-for-7 to start the season entering Monday, Melvin said the move was both a way to take some pressure off the slugger while also allowing a hot bat in Mark Canha to move up in the order. Canha was moved ahead of Davis to the five-hole, hitting a homer as part of a 2-for-4 day.

“Canha is swinging good,” Melvin said. “[Matt Olson] is a guy that gets teams’ attention more, so you want guys that do the most damage against left-handers behind him.”

Roster move
The A’s released right-hander Daniel Gossett on Monday afternoon. Gossett had not pitched in a game since 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and was working his way back during Summer Camp. He was designated for assignment on Wednesday.

In a corresponding move, right-handed Ben Bracewell was added to the club’s player pool and will report to the A’s alternate training site in San Jose. Bracewell was signed by Oakland as a non-drafted free agent on July 24, 2014, and he is 30-22 with 15 saves and a 3.51 ERA in 180 games (56 starts) in six Minor League seasons.