OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Athletics brought up top prospect Matt Chapman on Thursday, expecting him to be their regular third baseman, and the 24-year-old was set to make his major league debut against the New York Yankees.
As Chapman made his much-anticipated arrival from Triple-A Nashville, Oakland designated Trevor Plouffe for assignment -- and that wasn't a fun conversation for manager Bob Melvin on the long flight back from Florida.
Chapman, Oakland's first-round pick in the 2014 amateur draft, batted .259 with 16 home runs, 30 RBI and a .592 slugging percentage in 49 games for Nashville.