OAKLAND — The A’s revolving door opened long enough for San Mateo native Mickey McDonald to make his major league debut Wednesday night.
McDonald, a Serra High product, struck out on three pitches as a pinch-hitter against Baltimore closer Jorge Lopez to end the game, but that disappointment wasn’t enough to erase the grin on his face Thursday morning when recounting a day he’d eagerly anticipated.
“You do it your whole life and you finally get here and you look back at all the years and all the time you put into it,” McDonald said. “It’s crazy when it happens.”
The meager crowd of 2,703 included a vocal contingent on his behalf.
“I had a bunch of cousins, mom, dad, my girlfriend flew out from Chicago. a bunch of people here,” McDonald said. “It was a wild day. Definitely one to soak in. Got here at 9:45 a.m. and was here the whole day.”
A’s manager Mark Kotsay told players who weren’t breaking spring training with the major league club to stay at the ready and expect to be called up, and he wasn’t exaggerating. The A’s have used 35 players through 13 games — the most since the 1955 Kansas City A’s had 35.
Kotsay conceded he did the left-handed hitting McDonald no favors with his first assignment. against Lopez.
“I threw him in the fire,” Kotsay said. “I think it was tough for anybody in that situation — Lopez had a really good sinker last night and had electric stuff.”
McDonald, 27, got the word Monday night after playing for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators when he was summoned by manager Fran Riordan.
“Fran called me into the office with all the other coaches and told me,” McDonald said. “It was a very emotional experience. It was awesome. The whole team came in, there were a lot of hugs. It was one I’ll remember for sure.”
McDonald, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, can play all three outfield spots as well as third base. In five minor league sesaons and 372 games, McDonald hit .267 with seven homers and 112 RBIs and 68 stolen bases.
“He’s a kid that has baseball knowledge in terms of just playing the game,” Kotsay said. “He does a lot of the fundamentals right. Mickey’s got speed — he stole 26 bags in (the minors) last year. He’s a got a great spirit. He’s a guy that comes in, works hard. For us, rewarding a kid like that is a positive throughout our organization.”
An all-conference player at Serra, McDonald was going to go to College of San Mateo until the University of Illinois-Chicago reached out.
“I went on a visit there in and loved it,” McDonald said. “I liked the idea of getting away from home, being independent, living on my own. It was the best decision I ever made because I loved Chicago.”
An All-Horizon League performer at Illinois-Chicago, McDonald was an 18th-round pick in the 2017 draft.
VOGT PLACED ON IL
The A’s will be without veteran catcher/first baseman Stephen Vogt for the foreseeable future after a collision with Cedric Mullins Wednesday at first base left him with a right MCL sprain.
“We’ll get back to him when he resumes baseball activities,” Kotsay said. “I have no timeline. We’ll let you know when he starts back up with baseball stuff.”
Vogt was wearing a brace on his right knee. He was hurt reaching for an off-target throw from shortstop Elvis Andrus which took him into the path of Mullins, whose foot hit him in the ankle. It was his first start at the Coliseum since 2017 and has since played for Milwaukee, Arizona, the Giants and Atlanta.
“Being out there brought back a lot of good memories, good emotions, to start another game in Oakland,” Vogt said. “I wish we could have pulled the game out. Didn’t like walking off the field the way I did, but to hear the fans chanting again was really cool.”
The A’s reinstated catcher Austin Allen from the COVID-19 reserve list to serve as a backup catcher for Sean Murphy.
To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated right-handed pitcher Miguel Romero for assignment. The A’s also announced that catcher/first baseman Christian Bethancourt had the substitute player designation removed and is now officially on the 40-man roster.
