A’s Melvin makes lineup tweak in search of offensive mojo

DETROIT – Manager Bob Melvin is in search of a mojo modification.

After opening the week — and a seven-game road swing — with two losses in Seattle, the A’s (19-25) have made their way East to Detroit for a four-game weekend series with the Tigers.

First on the agenda in his effort to “change the mojo”? Getting first baseman Matt Olson into the three-hole for the first time this season.

Olson, who’s hit .194 with two home runs and 13 strikeouts in eight games since returning from a hand injury suffered in Oakland’s second game of the season, has not hit higher than fourth in 2019.

“We’re just trying to find our way offensively,” Melvin said. “We tend to try to play a lineup for a day, but [Olson] is a guy that (has) a pretty impactful bat. We’ll get him a little higher in the lineup today.”

Another reason to get Olson hitting third, Melvin said, was to move Matt Chapman up in the order to second. Chapman batted third in his previous 12 starts entering Thursday.

Chapman began the season as the second batter in Oakland’s every-day lineup and hit .318 over his first 26 games.

As of late, the third baseman’s performance at the plate has tapered off. He’s hit just .205 over his last 17 games, and Melvin hopes that moving him up in the lineup will help him return to early-season form.

“They’re going to go through streaks where you don’t hit the ball hard, and this is probably a little one for him,” Melvin said of Chapman’s slump, adding that “he’s had some pretty good numbers” hitting second.