• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

With season lost, Athletics looking into future

Sep 11, 2008 - 10:16 AM Texas (71-75) at Oakland (67-78) 10:05 p.m. EDT

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- With the season lost, the Oakland Athletics are taking this time to look into the future.

A pair of rookies will likely man the left side of the infield on Thursday when the Athletics open a series against the Texas Rangers.

Oakland is in third place in the American League West and has long been eliminated, giving it the perfect opportunity to insert rookie third baseman Jeff Baisley and first-year shortstop Cliff Pennington.

Baisley batted .298 with nine home runs and 44 RBI for Class AAA Sacramento before being recalled on Tuesday. The 25-year-old has yet to get a hit in six at-bats in the majors but general manager Billy Beane wants him in the lineup to see if he can replace Eric Chavez, who has missed the better part of the last two seasons with injuries to his back and shoulder.

Pennington, 24, was the A's first pick in 2005 and is batting .244 in 20 games in the majors after not playing above Class AA previously. Beane hopes Pennington can take over for Bobby Crosby, who will be a free agent after next season.

Baisley and Pennington will try to support Dallas Braden (5-3, 3.72 ERA), who seeks his third straight win.

Dustin Nippert (2-4, 6.59) counters for the Rangers, coming off his best start of the season. Nippert pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing seven hits while striking out four en route to a 1-0 victory against the Seattle Mariners eight days ago.