The A's aren't expecting rookie third baseman Matt Chapman to return to the lineup until next week most likely.
Manager Bob Melvin told reporters in Houston that Chapman will rejoin the A's and work out with the team Friday when they return to begin their next homestand against the Atlanta Braves. Chapman was placed on the 10-day D.L. Thursday with a knee infection that landed him in the hospital for a couple of days.
"He has not done any baseball activity yet," Melvin said. "We're for sure going to do a couple of days worth of baseball activity. Whether or not he goes out for a (minor league rehab) game or two, we're still deciding on that depending on how he feels Friday."
Melvin said he's kept in touch with Chapman via text message, which keeps him in tune with how eager the rookie is to return to the lineup. The highly touted prospect received his first major league call-up June 15 and started four games before being sidelined with cellulitis, a bacterial infection, in his knee. The A's checked him into a hospital so he could receive an intravenous antibiotic.
"He texts me all the time, after almost every game," Melvin said. "He tells me he feels better than some of the reports I get sometimes. He's laying in a hospital bed telling me he's ready to play, so I take that with a grain of salt."
