SAN DIEGO -- A's third baseman Matt Chapman could pick up a bat on Thursday, so long as his cortisone shot cooperates.
Chapman, placed on the disabled list last week with a right thumb contusion, went through a series of tests under the watch of Dr. Steven Shin at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles on Monday. The results were similar to those discovered by Shin upon Chapman's visit during Spring Training.
Neurology expert Dr. Vernon B. Williams also examined Chapman to rule out nerve damage.
"They looked at his thumb, and there was some inflammation in there, so he had an injection and we're waiting to see if that takes care of it the next couple of days," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "If everything progresses well, he could start swinging the bat on Thursday, but we'll have a better idea tomorrow."
Veteran Jed Lowrie was back at third in Chapman's stead on Tuesday for the start of a two-game series in San Diego.
Worth noting
• Outfielder Matt Joyce (lumbar strain), who picked up three hits in his second rehab game with Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday, is expected to be activated from the disabled list sometime during the club's four-game series in Chicago beginning Thursday.