OAKLAND — Outfielder Seth Brown and infielder J.D. Davis, a pair of 31-year-old veterans, got cast aside Tuesday as the A’s sought to end a season-high, nine-game losing streak.
Brown, their 2022 home run leader, was outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas, and Davis was designated for assignment three months after the Giants released him.
Their replacements, third baseman Tyler Nevin and right fielder Lawrence Butler, came up from Las Vegas and promptly got inserted into the Nos. 7 and 8 spots in the batting order against the visiting Royals. The A’s were batting a majors-worst .220 entering this six-game homestand against the Royals and the Minnesota Twins.
Brown was off to the worst start of his career: five home runs and 15 RBI while batting .189 with a .251 on-base percentage and .306 slugging percentage. He struck out 66 times in 180 at-bats, including 7-of-14 at-bats over his final four games.
“Obviously there’s a lot that Seth brings to this team, aside from his performance, which is why frankly we gave him as much time as we possibly could,” A’s general manager David Forst told reporters before Tuesday’s game. “Ultimately though we decided the best thing for Seth was probably to try to get a reset at Triple-A. It gives us a chance to give some other guys some at-bats here.”
Brown hit 20 home runs in 2021 to establish himself as a full-time big-leaguer, then hit a team-high 25 home runs in 2022 but just 14 last year and none in his past 20 games. His $2.6 million salary was the A’s fifth-highest.
Both Brown and Davis cleared waivers.
Forst added of Brown’s demotion: “He’ll go down with the right mindset of earning his way back here. He worked really hard to get here, worked really hard to stay here. I don’t have any doubt he’ll put in the work there.”
Davis produced four home runs and five RBI in 39 games (.236/.304/.366). He was 12-for-34 over his final 12 games, including a 2-for-3 effort in the opening game of Sunday’s doubleheader sweep; Sunday’s sweep in Minnesota capped the ninth winless road trip (of at least seven games) in Oakland history.
“J.D. wasn’t swinging the bat the way he’s capable,” said Forst, noting that Tyler Soderstrom and Abraham Toro are among those who could benefit from more at-bats without Davis.
Nevin was called up for an encore stint with the A’s after an 0-for-19 streak in last month’s previous appearance. In Las Vegas, he hit .296 with four home runs with a 1.032 OPS in 14 games. The A’s initially claimed him off waivers from Baltimore on March 31.
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Butler was recalled from Las Vegas in search of better results than he produced after he started the season on the opening-day roster (.179, two home runs, seven RBI in 41 games). Last year, he made debuts at Double-A, Triple-A and ultimately with the A’s, where he hit .211 with four home runs in 42 games.