Jake Smolinski took batting practice for the first time since his mid-March shoulder surgery and threw up to 60 feet Tuesday, a progression that has A’s manager Bob Melvin believing the outfielder could be playing during the season’s final month.
“I watched him throw today, and it looks good. That’s going to be the last thing with him, because of the shoulder surgery,” said Melvin, who didn’t speculate about whether Smolinski would be playing at the major- or minor-league level in September. “This is a hard-working guy and a talented guy.