Crisp back in action after week of being sidelined

CLEVELAND -- Just as planned, Coco Crisp made it back to the lineup for the series opener against the Indians on Friday.

The A's played a little over a week without their center fielder, who suffered a neck strain when he ran into a wall to make a catch in the first game of a doubleheader on May 7 in Oakland.

Craig Gentry's quality work to spell Crisp helped push Oakland to a 6-1 record while its leadoff hitter recovered.

"Whenever you're able to go 6-1, you feel fortunate," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "That's why we've incorporated the depth we have.

"A guy like Craig Gentry, who filled in every day, did a good job for us, and that's why he was brought in. Sometimes Coco, playing as hard as he does, will be out some games, and we need to give him some days off."

Gentry is hitting .313 (20-for-64) this season when he's in the starting lineup.

As he returns, Crisp will look to restore the pace he set early in the season. In his final 14 games before the neck strain, Crisp was batting just .220 (13-for-59). In the first 14 games of the season, he hit .324.