Cespedes is day-to-day with sore left hand

Oakland players were able to smile a bit even after a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at the Coliseum on Wednesday. The team is not expected to lose cleanup hitter Yoenis Cespedes for an extended period.

Cespedes left batting practice Tuesday with what he described Wednesday as a "sharp pain" in the back of his left hand, but X-rays Wednesday morning showed no fracture.

He has not been placed on the disabled list, and the diagnosis is a muscle strain in the back of the hand.

Cespedes said he "maybe" will try to take some swings Thursday, and if that goes well, manager Bob Melvin said that there is a chance that he might play Thursday night in the series opener against Detroit; if not, Friday.

In other potentially positive injury news, starter Brandon McCarthy said he played catch and it went well. He believes he will be able to make his scheduled start Saturday after being pushed back five days due to shoulder soreness.

McCarthy has had a history of stress fractures and reactions in the same right shoulder blade area in recent years, but he said that the current ailment was far less severe.