Athletics' Cristian Pache: Playing time trending down

Pache will start in center field and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Royals, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Though he's included in the starting nine for the series finale, Pache looks like he may be moving into more of a fourth-outfielder role for Oakland. He started just once in the Athletics' previous four games while second baseman Tony Kemp has picked up more reps in left field to clear a spot in the infield for rookie Nick Allen, who has swung a hot bat of late and appears to have temporarily claimed a near-everyday role.