MESA, Ariz. -- There was a time not too long ago that Sheldon Neuse was a top prospect for the A’s with high expectations.

First joining the A’s in 2017 as part of the return in a trade that sent Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson to the Nationals, Neuse quickly hit his way through each level of Oakland’s system with a bat that appeared ready for the Major Leagues. Working against him, however, was his position. He was a third baseman in an era that saw Matt Chapman emerge as a cornerstone of the A’s franchise.

Entering the 2021 season with no spot for him on the big league roster, the A’s traded Neuse to the Dodgers last February in a deal for Adam Kolarek and Cody Thomas. Designated for assignment this past December, the 27-year-old infielder was claimed off waivers by the A's on Wednesday night.

“It’s super exciting to come back and see some familiar faces,” said Neuse. “Walking into the clubhouse, it’s probably a little different than it was just a couple of days ago. Definitely a little more than when I was here a couple of years ago. But I’m very excited to be back in green and gold.”

The landscape Neuse finds himself in this time around is certainly different. Back then, the A’s were a club routinely in contention for the playoffs with an already-established core of top players, affording little chance for young players on the bubble to get a shot.

Now with a major roster shakeup after the recent trades of Chapman, Matt Olson and Chris Bassitt over the past week, the A’s are entering a new chapter. There’s plenty of open competition around the infield, so the timing might finally be right for Neuse to fulfill that bright future the A’s once foresaw.

“Another player that has an opportunity,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of Neuse. “He looks great. Last year, he had time with the Dodgers and on that roster, I think he was utilized in the way that we probably would like to have that opportunity for him. But he’s got to earn that spot.”

That utilization in Los Angeles came as a utility player. Appearing in 33 games for the Dodgers last year, Neuse got playing time at second base, third base and the corner outfield spots.

Though it wasn’t an everyday starting role, Neuse utilized his time in Los Angeles by soaking up as much as he could from the likes of Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger and the rest of a star-studded Dodgers clubhouse.

“Being able to talk to the amount of experience those guys have over there was incredible, not just player-wise, but staff-wise,” Neuse said. “I felt like I learned a lot and grew in the year that I was there.”

With the corner infield positions for the A’s now vacant, Neuse, who also spent some time playing first base in the Minor Leagues, will be competing for both spots among a group that includes Chad Pinder, Seth Brown and Eric Thames.

The versatility to play beyond just third and first will help. However, Neuse is viewing his situation as performance-based, mainly with the bat, which could work in his favor.

Hitting seems to be in Neuse’s DNA. Though he hit just .169 in limited playing time with the Dodgers last year, he did slash .293/.352/.478 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs in 78 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

It didn’t take long for Neuse to re-acclimate himself to the A’s Spring Training home ballpark, Hohokam Stadium. He put on a show during batting practice on Thursday by mashing balls to all fields, including a towering shot that flew over the left-field scoreboard and cleared the park entirely.

“You’ve gotta be able to hit your way into the lineup,” Neuse said. “I hope that I could do that. Defensively, I feel comfortable anywhere. I feel like I can move around, infield and outfield. I think my versatility helps me. It allows me more opportunities to get in and hit, which is the ultimate goal. You just gotta hit.”

Pitching plans for Spring opener
Friday’s Cactus League opener will see the debut of Brent Honeywell Jr. in an A’s uniform. The right-hander, who was acquired in a trade with the Rays in November, will make the start against the Angels and is expected to pitch two innings.

Other A’s pitchers expected to appear in the game include right-hander Paul Blackburn and left-hander A.J. Puk.

Spring broadcast schedule
The A’s announced on Thursday that every 2022 Spring Training game will be broadcast live on Bloomberg 960 AM and streaming on A’s Cast through iHeart and athletics.com. Spring Training games on March 27 and April 3 will be available to watch on NBC Sports California, while all home Spring Training games (March 20, 24, 25, 30, 31 and April 2, 4) can be watched via stream on athletics.com and the NBC Sports My Teams app.