Oakland A’s: Hiro Nakajima Knocking on the Door With Recent Strong Play

When the Oakland A’s reached into the international market and signed Japanese star shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima this past winter, they envisioned a player that would be starting at shortstop for them throughout the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

A slow acclamation process to Major League play and a late spring injury temporarily delayed those plans for the A’s, but following a rehab assignment and assignment to Triple-A, Nakajima is beginning to force the A’s hand and could be looking at a promotion in the near future.

“He’s playing pretty well, he got a couple hits again last night. I know he’s over .300. I think we’re starting to see the player we envisioned when we signed him, that we saw early in camp,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said regarding Nakajima prior to Saturday’s game against the Chicago White Sox. “All’s going pretty well with him right now, there’s not any pending moves at this moment, but he’s certainly putting himself in position due to performance that the potential is always there.”

Nakajima is in fact hitting over .300 for the River Cats, .312 to be exact in his 19 games with Sacramento. In 86 plate appearances he has collected 24 hits, six doubles, one homer, five walks, nine RBI and nine runs scored.

His defense, considered shaky during spring training, has also improved, though it still remains to be seen whether he will occupy shortstop or second base when he is finally promoted.

“Obviously shortstop is his most comfortable position, but he’s trying to acclimate to the other positions,” Melvin noted. “He’s very open to it for a guy that has played shortstop his whole career.”

Jed Lowrie has been one of Oakland’s most consistent offensive contributors this season, currently batting .297 with three homers and 23 RBI and having played most of his games at shortstop. The versatile infielder is certainly capable of playing second base if Melvin and the A’s front office determine shortstop to be Nakajima’s best fit in Oakland.

Meanwhile, the A’s will still go with a rotation of Eric Sogard (.270, 6 RBI) and Lowrie at second, and Adam Rosales (.209, 3 HR, 6 RBI) and Lowrie at shortstop until they determine the time has come to make a roster move.

Considering the $6.5 million two-year contract the A’s handed the Japanese infielder in the offseason, it’s likely that if his hot play continues they will decide the time has come to start seeing a return on their investment at the Major League level.

via Oakland A’s: Hiro Nakajima Knocking on the Door With Recent Strong Play | BaySportsNet.comBaySportsNet.com.