CSN Bay Area

MESA, Ariz. -- Starting rotation candidate Sean Nolin is being slowed by a groin injury and won’t throw off the mound as the A’s open spring training, manager Bob Melvin said Friday morning.

That will put Nolin, acquired from Toronto in the Josh Donaldson deal, a bit behind the rest of Oakland’s pitchers, who took the field for their first official workout of 2015 on Friday at Fitch Park. Melvin said Nolin’s injury developed over the offseason.

In other injury notes, Melvin reiterated that Stephen Vogt won’t catch in games right away once the Cactus League starts. He’ll gradually start to see innings behind the plate and won’t play first base or the outfield at all during spring training. But Vogt is expected to be ready to catch by the start of the regular season.

Those were the newsiest items to come out of Melvin’s morning session, although the first workout holds plenty of intrigue. A.J. Griffin and Jarrod Parker, both coming back from Tommy John surgery, are scheduled to throw off the mound Friday.

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Also throwing: Switch pitcher Pat Venditte, who is scheduled for one bullpen session right-handed, and then will throw a second one left-handed. You’ll find an expanded story on Venditte at csncalifornia.com a bit later this afternoon.

Melvin has watched Venditte throw left-handed before but not right-handed.

“A guy like Ariel Prieto can throw from both hands but not like that,” Melvin said. “This is quite a talent.”

Venditte, 29, signed a minor league deal with the A’s this winter after spending seven seasons in the Yankees’ organization. He has yet to appear in the majors.

Melvin has yet to study in-depth the new rules changes that MLB implemented Friday in an effort to speed up the pace of play, but he generally agrees with the concept.

“I think everybody’s for that,” he said. “Sometimes it’s tough to break your routines, but whatever MLB thinks is the right thing to do, we’ll adhere.”