Matt Chapman didn’t have a lot of time to savor his strong s

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MESA , Ariz. (AP) — — or the Oakland Athletics‘ surprise playoff run — during the winter.The 25-year-old third baseman had planned to have surgery on his right thumb after the season ended, but he also ended up getting an operation on his left shoulder in December. Both injuries had been bothering Chapman for a while.“The shoulder was kind of a fluke thing, but it was hurting me the last couple years,” Chapman said. “Just overuse. … I didn’t really think it was anything besides just being sore.”Now he’s ready to build on a year in which he hit 24 homers, won a Gold Glove and finished seventh in AL MVP voting.His preparation has been compressed because of the surgeries and Oakland’s early start to spring training and the regular season. The A’s will travel to Japan to play the Seattle Mariners in the season-opening series on March 20-21.“I think he’s right on schedule,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said Friday. “We maybe got him in there a day earlier than we expected. He’s running up close to 20 at-bats, which I didn’t think we’d have right now. I think everything’s going great with him.”Chapman has been to the plate 16 times this spring, with four walks and four hits including a double and a home run.“Just getting more and more healthy and strong each day,” he said. “No excuses now.”The A’s won a surprising 97 games last year even with injuries to their entire starting rotation. Now they’re aiming even higher.“Hopefully continue to build on what we did last year,” Chapman said. “One hundred wins. Win the division. If your goals going into the season aren’t to win your division or make the playoffs, then what are you playing for?”Chapman thinks his defense can improve even after he won the Gold Glove and the Platinum Glove , given to the best overall fielder in the AL. He made 20 errors last season and wants to reduce that number.His defensive prowess invites comparisons to the NL Gold Glove third baseman, Nolan Arenado, who was just rewarded by the Colorado Rockies with an eight-year, $260 million deal.“He obviously deserves that. He’s also (would have been) a free agent at 27, I’m gonna be 30. It’s a little different,” Chapman said. “That’s far in the future for me, but I’m off to a good start.”NOTES: LF Khris Davis (left calf strain) made his Cactus League debut on Friday. Davis, who has appeared in minor-league games this spring, was the designated hitter and batted cleanup. Facing San Diego prospect Chris Paddack, Davis struck out swinging on a 95-mph fastball in the first inning and flied to deep center in the fourth. Davis led the majors with 48 homers last season and drove in a career-high 123 runs. … A’s catcher Chris Herrmann underwent surgery on his right knee on Friday, Melvin said. The manager said there’s no timetable for his return. Josh Phegley and Nick Hundley , a non-roster invitee, are the top remaining catchers in Oakland camp, and prospect Sean Murphy figures to get the call from the minors later in the season. MILWAUKEE — A week after Gio Gonzalez was acquired from the Washington Nationals, the veteran left-hander will make his Milwaukee Brewers debut Saturday when he takes the mound against the San Francisco Giants at Miller Park.Gonzalez has looked little like the pitcher who finished in the top 10 of National League Cy Young voting a year ago. In 27 starts for the Nationals, he was 7-11 with a 4.57 ERA and had just one victory since May 28.The Brewers still had an interest, hoping he could provide depth down the stretch — as well as a left-handed starting option — as they try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011.Article continues below ...“We acquired him to have another good pitcher and because you don’t know what’s going to happen in this month,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s his turn to go help us try to win a game.”Gonzalez hasn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 29, when he allowed six runs in five innings but took a no-decision as the Nationals fell to the Phillies. He will have 10 days off before returning to action Saturday but isn’t worried about any kind of rust factor.He also has used the downtime to his advantage, working extensively with Brewers pitching coach Derek Johnson.“I don’t want to use any excuses,” Gonzalez said. “The way I see it is just give me the ball and I’m going to try and give you 100 percent of my talent. I’ll take the ball, make my pitches and try to get some outs. Rely on my defense and rely on our offense.“Hopefully , I can keep us in the game.”Gonzalez is 5-5 with a 3.53 ERA in 14 career starts against the Giants, including an 0-1 record and 7.56 ERA in two starts this season.He will face a lineup likely to be without shortstop Brandon Crawford, who was held out of Bruce Bochy’s starting lineup for a second straight day on Friday because of a sore knee that kept him out of three games last week as well.Bochy started switch-hitting Alen Hanson at short in the series opener and said he’ll give right-hander Abiatal Avelino the nod Saturday against Gonzalez.Right-hander Chris Stratton takes the mound against the Brewers, who tagged him for three runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief back earlier this season.Stratton took the loss his last time out despite holding the Mets to two runs in six innings but is 1-1 with a 1.77 ERA in his last three starts.He’s part of a group that has posted the third-best ERA in baseball since June 1 (3.37 heading into the series) but has been stymied by an offense that has struggled to generate runs.“They give us a chance, but you see the numbers; it’s just been tough since June 1 with the offense,” Bochy said. “A couple of guys getting hot, driving in runs, that’s what we’re missing.“Somebody’s got to do that for you to win ballgames. That’s what we’re missing.”

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