Serra grad Mickey McDonald gets called up by Oakland A’s

McDonald struck out to end the game in the A’s 1-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at the Oakland Coliseum. But if history has taught us anything, it’s that McDonald will bounce back and find a way to thrive.

“He was an undersized kid and those teams he was on in high school, those teams were loaded with talent, he just had this desire to compete,” Gianinno said. “And it didn’t matter what he was competing at … he was going to find a way to beat you. He was just the ultimate competitor.”

The A’s purchased McDonald’s contract from Triple-A Las Vegas and added him to the 40-man roster Wednesday. This follows a flurry of roster moves in recent days, with six Oakland players landing on the COVID injured list Monday. Austin Allen, Jed Lowrie, Chad Pinder, A.J. Puk, Kirby Snead Lou Trivino all landed on the COVID IL. Puk was reinstated to the active roster Wednesday.

Kevin Smith went on the 10-day IL Wednesday and pitcher Zach Logue was optioned to Triple-A as the corresponding moves with the additions of McDonald and Puk.

McDonald had been scuffling at the plate at Triple-A Las Vegas, batting .192 at the end of last week. Sunday’s 3-for-4 performance bumped his batting average above the Mendoza line, though, and three days later he’s found himself in Oakland.

“His will and desire and love for getting better every day,” Gianinno said of the ingredients of the 2013 Serra graduate. “His competitiveness, his attitude — all the intangibles and the ingredients that make a great player, and even a better person, and that’s Mick.”

McDonald is the second of Gianinno’s players to reach the major leagues. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Julian Merryweather, a 2010 Serra graduate, made his big league debut in 2020.

Former Serra standout Collin Theroux — one of McDonald’s best friends from childhood, and minor league teammate in previous years in the A’s farm system — was hired this year By the New York Yankees as the team’s bullpen catcher.

McDonald hit .299 his senior year at Serra in 2013 and maintained a similar pace through three years at Illinois-Chicago, recorded a career .285 batting average. It wasn’t until late last year that the left-handed hitting McDonald began turning heads, as he broke out in his first promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas, batting .333 with a noteworthy .423 slugging percentage — just one home run, but 11 doubles and three triples — while totaling 10 stolen bases.

In limited play at major league spring training camp this year, he took advantage of limited opportunity. Playing in four games, he totaled five hits in six at-bats.

Not bad for the undersized kid who sprouted up his senior year at Serra, but always had the lengths and the levers of athleticism, Gianinno said.

“Once the strength caught up to his skill, he just started to blossom,” Gianinno said.