Chad Pinder's return has come at an ideal time in the A¡¯s schedule.

When Pinder landed on the 10-day injured list on April 5 with a left knee sprain, the team was left without any options to back up third baseman Matt Chapman and shortstop Elvis Andrus throughout a grueling stretch that included 17 straight games in 17 days. With a similar stretch coming after Monday¡¯s off-day -- Oakland will play 16 straight days from May 18 thought June 2 -- Pinder, who was reinstated from the IL on Friday, will get a chance to show off his versatility by playing all over the field.

¡°We¡¯ll see where he plays on a particular day,¡± manager Bob Melvin said. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to give some guys an off-day and he usually ends up picking whoever up. Not really mapped out to this point.¡±

Pinder was in Saturday¡¯s lineup against the Twins at shortstop to provide a breather for Andrus, who entered the day having played in 38 of the A¡¯s first 40 games. With experience playing every position besides pitcher and catcher over his career, Pinder is a true super-utility option.

The impact Pinder can have on the lineup was clear during the 2020 postseason. Filling in at third for Chapman -- who was out with a season-ending hip injury -- he combined to hit .318 with two homers and seven RBIs in seven playoff games.

The A¡¯s are in a much different position since the last time Pinder started a game. At the time of his injury, the club was off to an 0-5 start. Since April 7, Oakland has gone 24-10, which is the best record in the Majors over that span. Knowing that roll they¡¯ve been on, particularly on offense, Pinder said he can take his time to regain a rhythm at the plate.

¡°I¡¯m just trying to keep things simple. I don¡¯t have to do too much to try to produce right away,¡± Pinder said. ¡°I can take my at-bats and get settled in, because the guys around me are playing great. I don¡¯t have to put too much pressure on myself. Over time, I¡¯ll get back and be much more comfortable.¡±

Moreland out of lineup

Dealing with soreness in his left side that developed during Friday¡¯s win over Minnesota, designated hitter Mitch Moreland was held out of Saturday¡¯s lineup. This comes despite the fact that Moreland is 4-for-9 with a homer in his career against Twins starter Jos¨¦ Berr¨ªos, lending credence to the severity of the injury.

¡°I think we¡¯ll have a better idea with him at the end of the day and see how he does over the course of a day,¡± Melvin said. ¡°It¡¯s still affecting him at this point. I think we¡¯ll make a decision on where we go with him after the game today.¡±