After earning rotation spot, Chavez impresses Melvin

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Jesse Chavez has already earned a rotation spot. Just don't tell him that.

"All I've told him is what I expect out of him," said manager Bob Melvin, "but he's not taking anything for granted, and that's good."

"It's just been hearsay to me, and I haven't approached it as, 'I'm in the rotation,'" Chavez said. "I've approached it like I'm just showing up every five days to get my work in and get ready for the season.

"It's awesome to be considered for it and to hear it."

Oakland's decision to move Chavez from the bullpen to the rotation, in the wake of injuries to Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin, looked good yet again Tuesday, when the right-hander limited the White Sox to a pair of runs -- both coming on solo shots -- in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits and walked two with two strikeouts.

Conor Gillaspie's second-inning homer off Chavez ended the hurler's spring streak of 14 scoreless innings. He exited the game with a 1.04 Cactus League ERA.

"He was good again, real good," said Melvin. "You can see him out there grinding. He throws one bad pitch or gives up a hit, he's upset. He's got high expectations for himself. He wants to keep pitching in this fashion, and even in a game like that, when it's tough to keep your focus at times, he seems like he's on it every pitch, so he continues to impress."

Chavez is on track to slot into the rotation between Scott Kazmir and Dan Straily, and his anticipated season debut on April 2 will mark his first starting assignment since June 24, 2012.

"I'm fine with it," he said, smiling. "I like it, it's fun. It just gives me more confidence that they have confidence I can do it. I'm going to try to ride that wave of confidence."