Oakland Athletics vs. Kansas City Royals - News - March 22, 2022

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Stephen Vogt - Returning to Athletics Vogt signed a contract with the Athletics on Wednesday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Impact Vogt underwent sports hernia surgery in mid-October but should be ready as he returns to the Athletics on a major-league contract. The 37-year-old appeared in 78 games between Arizona and Atlanta last year and hit .195 with seven home runs, 25 RBI and 24 runs. He should serve as a backup at catcher behind Sean Murphy to begin the 2022 campaign.

MARCH 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Frankie Montas - Scoreless effort in spring debut Montas started Tuesday's Cactus League loss to the Royals and fired 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing four hits while recording a strikeout.

Impact The right-hander, who, along with rotation mate Sean Manaea has been the subject of trade rumors in recent days, faced 11 batters. Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports Montas hit 96 mph on the radar gun in four of his first five pitches and logged 41 offerings overall. Montas also utilized both his splitter and slider effectively, and if he remains with the team, he's considered the leading candidate to serve as the Opening Day starter versus the Phillies on April 8.

MARCH 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Cristian Pache - Chance for starting job to open '22 Pache is a candidate to open the season as the starting center fielder with Ramon Laureano (suspension) unavailable the first 27 games, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Impact The recent trade acquisition arrived in Oakland with a well-deserved reputation as an elite defender, even as questions linger about the big-league readiness of his bat. Pache hasn't done much to dispel those worries in Cactus League play just yet -- he's hitting .167 over his first 12 spring plate appearances -- but he's posted averages of .265 or higher in every minor-league stint longer than one game during a professional career that dates back to 2016. Consequently, the job could be Pache's to lose to open 2022, barring injury or any unforeseen concerns that pop up.

MARCH 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Kevin Smith - Shot at third base job Smith, who arrived from the Blue Jays in the Matt Chapman trade Wednesday, is one of the primary candidates to fill the Athletics' third base job, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com report...

Impact The 25-year-old was in line to compete for the Blue Jays' starting third base job before the trade, and he now reportedly has a strong chance of succeeding the player he was moved for. Smith has also logged plenty of time at shortstop during his minor-league career, but he's already made 14 big-league appearances at the hot corner, all last season. Smith struggled with the bat during his 18-game cup of coffee with Toronto (.094/.194/.188 slash line), but he'd earned the promotion courtesy of his .285 average, .931 OPS, 52 extra-base hits and 69 RBI in 94 games at Triple-A Buffalo.

MARCH 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Dalton Kelly - Competing for first base job Kelly, who's in camp on a minor-league contract, is a candidate for the Athletics' vacant first base job, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Impact Kelly is competing with fellow non-roster invitees Billy McKinney and Eric Thames, and he hasn't gotten off to much of a start at the plate by going 1-for-6 over his first four exhibitions. However, the 27-year-old does have some recent success to point to, albeit at the minor-league level, as he slugged 27 home runs with Triple-A Durham last season while with the Rays organization. Kelly has never seen regular-season big-league action, but he's hit .283 or better at four different professional stops and has made 357 appearances at first base over the last four seasons in the minors.

MARCH 23, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

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Oakland Athletics vs. Kansas City Royals - News: Mar 22, 2022

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