July 12, 2020 2:47 AM : Piscotty, who was recently deemed fully recovered from the side injury that plagued him this spring, has impressed over the first week of summer camp workouts, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. "He looks 100% healthy and he actually had a couple of hits and a walk in one [simulated] game," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "It looks completely different than he did in Spring Training. It looks like he's ready to hit the ground running. I feel really good for him."
Analysis: Piscotty's chances of being available for Opening Day had it unfolded on time were essentially non-existent, but the three-month-plus layoff gave him ample time to get healthy. While the late-June news that Piscotty was free of any discomfort while working out on his own was certainly encouraging, the fact he's been able to demonstrate that in front of his teammates and coaches adds another layer of assurance about his condition. Given he was never able to log any at-bats during spring training, the veteran is focused on getting as many live reps as possible prior to the start of the season and continue improving his head position at the plate, which he was already working on during the shutdown. "We were focused on my head position and keeping it still, not lunging forward. It's really helped me see the ball really well," Piscotty said. "That's one thing I worked on every single day that I hit. It's interesting to get in the box after not playing for so long and not feel comfortable. [Athletics hitting coach Darren Bush] was spot on with that, and I'm going to keep it going."