MESA, Ariz. -- A lot has changed in A’s camp over the past week.

Since our last A’s Inbox, the club has trimmed its active roster in big league camp from 57 players to 41. Among those cuts was Sheldon Neuse, Oakland’s No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline, which gives a little more clarity to what the A’s might do with their vacant second base job.

Meanwhile, the starting rotation took a bit of a hit as left-hander A.J. Puk was shut down after experiencing shoulder soreness during a bullpen session. A’s manager Bob Melvin said Puk’s chances of starting the regular season in the rotation are slim, though there is a chance he could get ramped back up in time to make Opening Day as a reliever. Chris Bassitt, who was ticketed for a swingman role this year, would likely fill Puk’s spot in the rotation.

With all that to digest, here’s another edition of A’s Inbox:

Really like what I’ve seen so far from Vimael Machin. What do you think his chances are of making the team?
-- @_zxy777

You’re not alone in that assessment of Machin. The versatile infielder acquired by the A’s through the Rule 5 Draft has exceeded the expectations of coaches this spring, both with his glove playing all around the infield and with his bat.

After Monday's 5-0 victory over the Rangers, Machin was tied for second-most games played of any A’s player this spring, slashing .310/.429/.379 with two doubles and five RBIs over 14 Cactus League games.

With Stephen Piscotty likely to begin the season on the injured list and MLB’s active rosters expanding to 26 players, Machin’s chances of making the Opening Day squad are increased. His main competition is likely Jorge Mateo, the A’s No. 7 prospect, who is batting .240 over 11 games.

The A’s will have to make a tough decision on one of these players. Mateo is out of Minor League options and would likely get claimed off waivers by another club were he to miss the cut for Opening Day, while Machin would have to get returned to his original club -- the Cubs -- were he not to make the roster.

How do you see the rotation shaking out and do you see a platoon at second base with Franklin Barreto and Tony Kemp, or has Kemp pulled away?
-- @rnick87

Puk’s recent shoulder injury likely flips he and Bassitt’s roles to begin the season. The A’s have not announced an Opening Day starter yet, but let’s assume Mike Fiers gets the nod again. You’re looking at a starting five of Fiers, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Jesus Luzardo and Bassitt.

As far as second base, Kemp, who went 1-for-2 with an RBI Monday, is off to a hot start at the plate this spring -- but Barreto isn’t too far behind. A 3-for-5 effort with three doubles against the Brewers Sunday momentarily pulled Barreto even with Kemp at a .333 batting average entering Monday’s game.

As things stand now, a left-right platoon between Barreto and Kemp at second is still the likely scenario.

Is T.J. McFarland still a favorite to claim one of the bullpen spots after a couple of disappointing spring outings? Is there any kind of battle between him and Burch Smith, or perhaps Jordan Weems?
-- @pro4pro32

It’s unlikely a couple of rough Cactus League outings will deter the A’s from how they feel about McFarland. He brings value as the club’s second left-hander in the bullpen and the organization believes his high ground-ball rate and move to a more pitcher-friendly ballpark in the Oakland Coliseum will lead to more success this year.

Smith has a shot to make the Opening Day bullpen, but his battle is more with fellow right-hander J.B. Wendelken, who is out of Minor League options.

Weems, a former position player who converted to pitcher in 2016, has been a great story in camp, as he has not allowed a run through six outings. But given that he’s not on the 40-man roster, the A’s would probably try to stash him in the Minors to begin the season and have him available as an option later in the year should a need in the bullpen arise.

With Puk injured, do you see him coming back as a bullpen piece? I feel like he’d be a solid seventh or eighth-inning guy.
-- @Lukejohnson3398

Expected to begin playing catch again Tuesday, it does sound like if Puk has any shot to make the Opening Day roster, it would have to come out of the bullpen as there won’t be enough time left in spring to stretch back up to a starter’s workload. Given the struggles the bullpen went through last year, leading the American League in blown saves, it’s conceivable to see Puk sticking there were he to evolve into a dominant setup man. However, the long-term plan right now is still for Puk to find his way into the starting rotation for 2020.

What innings limit do you project for Luzardo?
-- @SteevieJanowski

The A’s haven’t thrown out a specific number of innings, but a workload restriction for Luzardo is expected. How much that might be is unclear at this point. It’s important to remember that the most innings the club's No. 1 prospect has thrown in his professional career was 109.1 in 2018. Separate shoulder issues limited Luzardo to a total of 55 innings last season.

Let’s say Luzardo, 22, makes the full allotment of starts in 2020, which is probably around 28-30 starts if the left-hander is in the back-end of the rotation as expected. At an average of about five or six innings per start, the limit could be anywhere from 120-150 innings.

Best spots for a burrito down in Spring Training?
-- @mvaquera78

Now in my third Spring Training down here in Arizona, it’s been quality over quantity in terms of burritos. The top two spots for me are El Chavo Mexican Restaurant, which is just about a five-minute drive from Hohokam Park in Mesa, and PHX Burrito House in Phoenix. Get the carne asada burrito at El Chavo or al pastor burrito at PHX. You can thank me later.