CSN Bay Area

MESA, Ariz. – The A’s made their first round of cuts Sunday morning, and right-hander Arnold Leon was among the five pitchers sent to the minors.

Leon was a guy who largely got lost in the shuffle this spring when it came to starting rotation discussion, but he’s very much in the A’s thoughts for the future. He has climbed the ranks of their farm system since being signed out of the Mexican League in 2007 as a teenager. Leon got his first big league call-up last season during a doubleheader in May, but he was not used and was sent back to Triple-A after just one day.

Because Leon logged around 240 innings last season – including time spent in winter ball – the team proceeded cautiously with the 26-year-old this spring.

And with the A’s trying to get a read on several rotation candidates new to the organization this year -- including Chris Bassitt, Kendall Graveman and Jesse Hahn – the opportunities were going to be few for Leon moving forward in Cactus League games. He appeared in three exhibitions and didn’t allow a run in four innings.

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Aware that Leon hasn’t been mentioned often in the rotation discussion, Melvin addressed his situation Sunday.

“That’s a tough one,” Melvin said of sending Leon down. “Arnold is a guy that is on the cusp with us. With all the new pitching, I don’t want to say it feels like he’s gone under the radar. He hasn’t with us. We really haven’t stretched him out because of the workload he had this year. … He’s still a guy we think very highly of.”

Melvin was asked if Leon’s decision to pitch in winter ball affected his chances of making the A’s roster this spring.

“I don’t think it affected that, but it affected us giving him some starts here, which would have been difficult anyway,” the manager said.

Leon will begin the season with Triple-A Nashville, and whether he pitches as a starter or reliever early on depends on how the A’s want to budget out his innings.

In other moves, right-hander Raul Alcantara was optioned to Double-A Midland, and pitchers Angel Castro, Jim Fuller and Rudy Owens were reassigned to minor league camp.

Alcantara, currently on the comeback trail from Tommy John surgery, entered the 2014 season as the A’s top-rated pitching prospect. He recently began pitching off the mound, and Melvin mentioned June or July as a tentative return to game action for Alcantara, 22.

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Right fielder Josh Reddick (strained oblique) played catch Saturday, and he expressed hope that perhaps he could return as soon as the Bay Bridge Series that leads into the April 6 regular season opener. Melvin wasn’t willing to go that far, but he’s encouraged that Reddick is feeling better after recently beginning strengthening exercises.

“By (the Bay Bridge Series), we hope he’s getting some at-bats,” Melvin said. “It’s all about getting him enough at-bats to where we feel comfortable with him potentially starting the season with us.”

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Left fielder Coco Crisp (sore triceps) will hit off a tee Sunday after playing catch on Saturday. The plan is to have him re-evaluated in a couple days. Crisp hasn’t played since leaving last Sunday’s game.

First baseman Ike Davis, dealing with a sore back, is feeling better but won’t return until Tuesday at the earliest, Melvin said.

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Things went well for right-hander Jarrod Parker Friday when he faced hitters, and the current plan is for him to do so again Wednesday. The official target date for his return remains June, but Melvin praised the work that Parker has put in during his Tommy John rehab.

“Everything is going real smoothly with him, which is great to see,” Melvin said. “He’s a hard-working kid and he’s put himself in position to where he hasn’t had any setbacks.”

Fellow starter A.J. Griffin will throw off the mound again Tuesday as he continues his own recovery from Tommy John surgery. Griffin has been throwing breaking balls from the front of the mound but has yet to do so during a full bullpen session.