Griffin hopes to be ready should the A's reach ALCS

DETROIT -- As the A's focus remains on securing an American League Division Series victory over the Tigers, they're also continuing to keep an eye on a pitcher who could potentially help them in the next round, should they advance.

Right-hander A.J. Griffin, who would've likely started Wednesday's Game 4 over Dan Straily if he wasn't dealing with elbow tendinitis, was expected to play catch for a second time on Monday.

"When he played a little catch the other day, he felt pretty good," said manager Bob Melvin. "He's probably not 100 percent still, though."

Griffin would have to progress ahead of schedule, it seems, to be a potential factor in the American League Championship Series, to be played against the winner of the Boston-Tampa ALDS.

"He would have to throw at least one full bullpen, and whether or not we try to get him some hitters after that I don't know," Melvin said. "But he would have to be comfortable and throw a pretty strenuous bullpen where he's using all his pitches to see how his arm responds the next day."

Despite dealing with elbow discomfort toward the end of the season, Griffin went 4-1 with a 3.75 ERA over his last six outings. He allowed two runs on seven hits in five innings against the Tigers as a rookie in last year's ALDS in his lone career postseason appearance.