Armando Alvarez Goes 3-for-4 in First MLB Start
The Oakland A's called up Armando Alvarez on Saturday to act as another third base option with Abraham Toro landing on the IL. In the three games since, it was Tyler Nevin that got the start at the hot corner. That is, until Tuesday night in Anaheim.
In his first start in the big leagues, Armando Alvarez recorded a 3-for-4 evening with a double and two singles. His double to lead off the third inning was his first MLB hit, an opposite field piece that he shot down the right field line on a fastball up and out of the zone.
After the game, A's manager Mark Kotsay talked to reporters about the performance of Alvarez.
"It was a great night for Armando. He's waited a long time for that opportunity to get a start in the big leagues, and to go out and to have that type of game says a lot about the kid. He's got great spirit. It was well deserved."
Alvarez grew up rooting for Miguel Cabrera and the Florida Marlins. Now, there is a little bit of an age difference between Miggy when he debuted at 20-years-old and Alvarez, 29, but not even the future Hall of Famer had a three-hit outing in his first big-league start.
When the Yankees signed Alvarez in 2016, he went by Mandy, which is a nickname for Armando. Later on, he went by his full name as a way to honor his father and the three Armandos that came before him as he went about his baseball journey. The A's Alvarez is the fourth Armando.
He came to the A's as a minor-league free agent in the middle of November after spending 2023 in the San Francisco Giants' system, hoping that an opportunity would present itself for him in the Majors. On Tuesday night, he got his opportunity, and he made the most of it.
JASON BURKE
Jason is the host of the Locked on A's podcast, and the managing editor of Inside the A's. He's a new father and can't wait to take his son to his first baseball game at the Coliseum.