Entering the season, Chad Pinder appeared to be primed for a breakout year. He had a great 2020 postseason, an encouraging 2021 spring, and long-term progress in reducing his strikeout rate. He hits the ball as hard as anyone on the Oakland A’s, and defensively he can fill in almost anywhere on the field. After years of part-time duty, it was impossible not to be curious what he could do with an everyday chance.
Naturally, he got hurt in the fourth game of the year. A sprained left knee cost him six weeks, putting him out of action until mid-May.