The Oakland Athletics play their first set of Cactus League split-squad games as they host the Milwaukee Brewers and travel to face the San Diego Padres. The A’s will send out Gio Gonzalez to face the Brewers, while Josh Outman will start against the Padres. The big news is that Cliff Pennington will make his 2011 Spring Training debut in the Padres game. Pennington had shoulder surgery this past offseason and has been rehabbing it thus far. It sounds like Pennington will be swinging solely from the left side of the plate for now.
The A’s will send out the following lineup to face the Brewers in Phoenix.
1. Coco Crisp CF
2. Mark Ellis 2B
3. Hideki Matsui DH
4. Conor Jackson 1B
5. Chris Carter LF
6. Josh Donaldson C
7. Wes Timmons 3B
8. Michael Taylor RF
9. Eric Sogard SS
According to Jane Lee, the A’s have also scheduled the following pitchers to appear in the game after Gonzalez: Grant Balfour, Jerry Blevins, Willie Eyre, Brian Fuentes, and Tyson Ross.
Over in Peoria, the A’s will send out the following lineup to face the Padres:
1. Cliff Pennington SS
2. Daric Barton 1B
3. David DeJesus DH
4. Josh Willingham LF
5. Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B
6. Kurt Suzuki C
7. Jai Miller CF
8. Matt Carson RF
9. Steve Tolleson SS
According to Lee, the A’s will send out the following pitchers after Outman: Joe Bateman, Bobby Cramer, Danny Farquhar, Trystan Magnuson, and Yadel Marti