March 7, 2021 12:41 AM : Chapman, who played his first game of spring in the field Friday, reported no physical setbacks after making a diving stab of a groundball in the second inning, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: The two-time Platinum Glove winner looked like he hadn't missed a beat when he dove to his right to snag the Angels' Kurt Suzuki's grounder, hopped quickly to his feet and cut down the veteran catcher at first with a strong one-hop throw. The sequence held a bit more weight than a run-of-the-mill early spring training play, considering Chapman's offseason hip surgery and how critical his defense is to the Athletics' fortunes. "He really takes pride in it," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "A lot of guys concentrate more on the bat. But defense is his calling card, even though he's a terrific offensive player, too."