Ryon Healy was unseated from his everyday job at third base when the A’s signed Trevor Plouffe in January, but the move made Healy no less valuable.
Throughout spring training, manager Bob Melvin insisted he’d continue to bat Healy in the middle of the lineup every day even if it meant serving as the designated hitter.
That’s the case four games into the season, and the faith paid off Thursday when Healy smacked a two-run home run to help the A’s beat the Angels 5-1 and split the season-opening series.
Last year, Healy was one of the few bright spots on a last-place team, arriving the first day after the All-Star break and hitting .