OAKLAND -- Players are still easing their way back into the swing of things at A’s Summer Camp, but there are signs all around that the competitive juices are starting to flow.

The A’s held their first simulated game of camp on Tuesday afternoon, after the portion of the workout available to media was over, and there was no shortage of friendly trash-talking going around.

One of the highlights from the session was a lively battle between Franklin Barreto and Frankie Montas, which ended with Barreto blasting a home run off the right-hander.

“We had hitters against pitchers, but there wasn’t a lot of baserunning. We’re easing our way into that,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said before Wednesday's workout at the Coliseum. “I think once we get into actual intrasquad games, which are a few days away, it’ll feel like there’s a little more competition amongst the guys that are competing for jobs.”

The home run by Barreto aside, Montas was impressive in his session. Like several other A’s pitchers, Montas kept his arm in good shape by regularly throwing bullpen sessions in Arizona during the baseball shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Coming off a terrific season that was marred by an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, Montas is eager to show that his strong first half of 2019 was no fluke.

“Montas looked good. He tells me he could go close to five innings right now,” Melvin said. “I don’t think we’re there yet with all of our starters, but if we could get to 80 or 85 pitches for their first game, that’s kind of what we’re targeting.”

Defense a work-in-progress
A’s infielders spent plenty of time doing as many defensive drills as they could during the shutdown, but that part of their game still appears to need some polishing before getting back up to speed. This is no concern for Melvin, who expects that to be the case with most clubs around the league.

“I’ve noticed their eyes are seeing what they normally do, but their body might not quite be moving at that pace yet,” Melvin said. “They’re getting a little bit tired, some guys. If you take ground balls, we’re trying not to hit as many to a particular guy because the legs might not be there yet. They might be in running shape, but defensive positioning can be taxing. We’re trying to move slowly along as far as that goes.”

Much of the early defensive woes are often a product of infielders learning the tendencies of their teammates and trusting them. After not practicing together for the past three months, Melvin said it will take some time for them to all get used to each other again -- though the fact that infielders like Marcus Semien, Matt Chapman and Matt Olson have been playing together for a few years now will help expedite that process.

“I think for guys that have played together, it’ll be much easier,” Melvin said. “We’re ahead of the game in that aspect.”

Young catchers
The three main options at catcher for the A’s don’t bring a ton of experience. All are rookies, with Sean Murphy and Austin Allen bringing a combined total of 54 games of Major League experience while Jonah Heim has yet to play in the big leagues. But that lack of experience is made up for in talent.

Murphy ranks as the A’s No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline and impressed the club in his time in Oakland last season in September, even earning the start behind the plate for the American League Wild Card Game. Allen and Heim both were entrenched in a close battle for the backup spot during Spring Training, leaving the A’s comfortable with either beginning the regular season as the main backup to Murphy, who is easing his way back from offseason knee surgery.

Now that rosters will be expanded to 30 players on Opening Day, there’s a chance the A’s will carry all three catchers, though that decision will be made based on performance in upcoming intrasquad and exhibition games.

“We feel like any one of them can handle a significant role,” Melvin said. “We’re trying to keep Murph healthy, which I think this break was probably good for him to be able to rehab a little more. In Spring Training, we were being really careful with him. He’s going to catch again today, and that’s two days in a row.

“The other two guys are talented guys. One’s a switch-hitter and one’s a left-handed hitter. We’re still learning more about them. I haven’t seen either of those guys a ton, so we’re still processing where we’re gonna go with those two guys.”