PEORIA, Ariz. – Considering the expectations for Tyler Soderstrom this season after graduating in 2023 ranked as the A’s top overall prospect, it was a bit surprising to see him play only sparingly in three of Oakland’s first seven Cactus League games.

Turns out, there’s a reason for Soderstrom’s slow spring. After getting the start behind the plate on Feb. 25 against the Dodgers, the catcher fell sick with an undisclosed illness that forced A’s manager Mark Kotsay to stray away from his original plan of playing Soderstrom on an every-other-day basis.

Easing Soderstrom back into action with a pair of appearances off the bench over the past week, including Friday’s game against the Royals in which he tagged an RBI ground-rule double to right-center, Kotsay inserted the 22-year-old back in the starting lineup for Saturday’s 12-8 A’s victory over the Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex.

“[Friday’s] at-bat was a good sign,” Kotsay said. “It’s a slow start for him in terms of getting in there, but you’ll see him over the next few days get more playing time. We’re going to try to get him more at-bats.”

For the first time at really any level of baseball, Soderstrom -- who holds a career .856 OPS in three Minor League seasons -- encountered prolonged struggles at the plate in his first taste of big league action last season, hitting .160 with a .472 OPS and 43 strikeouts in 45 games.

“It was definitely an eye-opening experience,” Soderstrom said. “I learned a lot. … I know that I can hit, so I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. But it was good to go through that struggle just to understand that, in the [big leagues], pitchers are not going to make too many mistakes. They’re going to find your weakness and keep attacking it.”

Kotsay echoed similar thoughts on Soderstrom’s struggles with the A’s last year, saying that he notices a more mature ballplayer in camp this spring.

“From last year to this year, the body language is better,” Kotsay said. “The intensity is better. I think the focus is better. Biggest positive coming out of a negative from last season in terms of the performance side is that he’s recognizing things that may help him be successful this coming season.”

Soderstrom will likely enter the 2024 campaign in a left-right platoon with catcher Shea Langeliers, while also potentially getting some time at first base and designated hitter. Viewed as a key piece of the young core forming in the Majors along with others such as Zack Gelof and Lawrence Butler, the A’s are hopeful that Soderstrom’s elite hitting traits that were on display throughout the Minors will translate more this upcoming season.

Spence continues building roster case: Facing a Mariners lineup filled with most of its regulars, Mitch Spence, a Rule 5 Draft pick by the A’s this offseason, continued his bid for a roster spot by tossing three shutout innings on 44 pitches (29 strikes) with one hit, one walk, a hit-by-pitch and two strikeouts.

Developing a reputation as a pitcher who at his best generates plenty of weak contact over his four Minor League seasons with the Yankees, Spence lived up to that scouting report on Saturday.

“I’m at my best when I’m getting weak contact,” Spence said. “When I start getting ahead in counts, that’s when the strikeouts come. But my main goal out there is to attack the zone and try to get them to put the ball in play play really weak.”

Spence felt particularly good about his slider, which he utilized on an inning-ending strikeout pitch to Mitch Haniger in the first.

Between his two Cactus League starts, Spence has worked five innings and allowed just one run on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts, keeping himself firmly in the mix for either the A’s final rotation spot or a role in the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever.

“I felt like I did just a little bit better in this outing than the last one,” Spence said. “You just kind of make little adjustments in between outings and try to take it into the next game.”