OAKLAND — At long last, Miguel Andujar can don the green and gold in a Major League Baseball game.
Before Friday’s game against the Astros, the A’s announced that they reinstated Andujar from the 10-day injured list. Infielder Brett Harris was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move.
“It’s super exciting to be back here with the team,” said Andujar, who will bat cleanup. “I’ve waited for this moment, and thank god I’m here now.”
Andujar, who signed a one-year, $1.7 million deal after being claimed off waivers in November, quickly became the story of spring training, hitting .357 with five home runs and a 1.110 OPS in 14 games. That momentum was halted when Andujar underwent surgery to repair a torn right meniscus just before Opening Day.
“It was a little hard, but at the end of the day, I control what I can control,” Andujar said.
After going under the knife in late March, Andujar began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas in mid-May. In five games, Andujar went 7-for-18 with four doubles and six RBIs, recording more multi-hit games (3) than strikeouts (2).
Andujar could’ve rejoined the A’s at the beginning of the week, but he told the team that he wanted more time in Triple-A to get his timing down. A’s manager Mark Kotsay said Andujar will receive consistent at-bats, but the team also wants to be mindful of his health because he’s coming off the injury.
“Anytime you have a veteran player that’s gone through the process, it’s good to communicate with them and get feedback,” Kotsay said.
Andujar, batting cleanup and starting in left field against Houston’s Justin Verlander, makes his Oakland debut at a time when the team’s offense needs some juice. Since May 10, the A’s own a .670 OPS, which ranks 21st in the majors during that time frame.
A bat-first outfielder stands to help in that department. Andujar spent most of last season with the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate, hitting .338 with 16 home runs and a .941 OPS across 103 games. In Pittsburgh, Andujar had a .250 batting average and .776 OPS with four home runs in 30 games.
Andujar had solid numbers during winter ball as well. In 31 games with Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League, Andujar had a .306 batting average with two home runs and 19 RBIs.
“He’s a professional hitter who takes good at-bats,” Kotsay said. “He’s got a two-strike approach. He impacts the baseball really hard when he gets a good pitch to hit. All those intangibles led to him really leaving an impression.”
Andujar, who has played in parts of seven major league seasons, owns a career slash line of .270/.302/.449 with 39 home runs across 298 games. In 2018, Andujar finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting behind Shohei Ohtani, hitting 27 home runs with a .297 batting average for the Yankees.
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Harris, who made his major-league debut on May 3, had a .116 batting average with three home runs in 17 games with the A’s. The 25-year-old hadn’t recorded a hit since May 11, going hitless in his last 19 plate appearances.
“The league quickly finds holes or your weaknesses,” Kotsay said. “In Brett’s case, he can get a little more aggressive to the strike zone in his swing, which was discussed, but overall, I think it was a great experience for him. It was great to have him here. He’ll be back, and he’s going to be a part of this group. It’s his opportunity to go down now and dominate that level.”