Allen remained in the game in Saturday's loss to the Angels after getting hit in the right side of the head by Tommy La Stella's bat in the second inning, the Associated Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

The backup catcher's helmet flew off upon impact in what was a scary moment for both Allen and La Stella. After getting checked out by manager Bob Melvin and athletic trainer Nick Paparesta, Allen was able to remain in the game and finished 1-for-3 with a strikeout.

Allen went 2-for-3 with a double in a loss to the Diamondbacks on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

Allen was the only other Athletics bat besides Robbie Grossman with multiple hits in a relatively quiet night for what had recently been a red-hot offense. The 26-year-old snapped a modest 0-for-8 skid, but he's still carrying an anemic .185/.214/.333 slash across his first 28 plate appearances.

Allen went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before being ejected from Sunday's game against the Astros.

EDGE Analysis

After the dust settled on a benches-clearing scuffle in the seventh inning, Allen and Ramon Laureano were ejected. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle noted that Allen "looked like he was mixing it up pretty good in a second scrum." Manager Bob Melvin told Brian McTaggart and Martin Gallegos of MLB.com that he expects some suspensions given the violation of protocols.

Allen went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Rangers.

EDGE Analysis

Allen made a rare start in place of Sean Murphy, and he made it count with the go-ahead homer in the seventh inning. The long ball is the first of the 26-year-old catcher's career, as well as his second hit in 2020.

Allen will open the season as the A's backup catcher as the team informed Jonah Heim he won't be making the season-opening roster.

EDGE Analysis

Both young catchers had impressive showings in spring and summer training, but Allen will begin the 60-game slate as the reserve option to starter Sean Murphy. Heim will be a member of the three-man taxi squad and will quickly be able to join the team if there are any roster openings. Allen made his big-league debut with the Padres last season and appeared in 34 games before being traded to the Athletics for Jurickson Profar in December.

Allen, who has previously carried a reputation as a hit-first catcher, worked regularly on his defense during the shutdown as part of his bid to secure the backup catcher job, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Allen only slashed .215/.282/.277 across his first big-league 71 plate appearances last season in San Diego, but he hit between .273 and .330 in his last five minor-league stops before his promotion, eclipsing 20 home runs in three of those stints. In a fierce battle with Jonah Heim for the backup catcher job behind Sean Murphy when spring training was suspended, Allen was able to focus on improving his defense and footwork behind the dish while following a routine outlined for him by bullpen coach Marcus Jensen during the shutdown, as he regularly found workout partners such as Nate Lowe, Francisco Lindor and various pitchers in the Orlando, Florida area. Given that teams will be allowed to carry 30 players on the active roster for the first two weeks of the season, there remains a chance manager Bob Melvin keeps all three catchers to start the regular season.

Allen, who was in a heated battle for the backup catcher job before spring training was suspended, is highly likely to make the Opening Day roster, Mark Saxon of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Allen came into spring camp as the favorite over Jonah Heim to back up starter Sean Murphy, but Heim made it a much tighter battle than expected by hitting .320 across 12 Cactus League games. Impressive as those numbers were, Allen was even better while hitting .406 (13-for-32) with two home runs and 10 RBI. Consequently, it would have likely been a close call for manager Bob Melvin had the regular season unfolded under normal circumstances with teams limited to 26-man rosters, Saxon notes the fact there are now four extra slots to work with almost certainly serves to lock in spots for both young backstops, and the fact Allen is already on the 40-man roster only ups his chances of staying put when the regular season begins.

The backup catcher job battle between Allen and Jonah Heim seemed to be "at a standstill" when spring training was suspended, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Allen, who arrived from the Padres in the Jurickson Profar trade this past offseason, made an outstanding case during Cactus League play with a .406 average (13-for-32), two doubles, two home runs, 10 RBI, two walks and six runs over 15 games. However, Heim, already lauded for his defensive skills, made a strong impression as well by hitting .320 (8-for-25) over his 12 exhibitions. Gallegos notes the battle will likely decided during any ramp-up period to the regular season, with Allen's more consistent track record of minor-league offensive success potentially tipping the scales in his favor.

Allen, who's battling for a backup catcher job, is hitting .379 with two doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, two walks and six runs across his first 14 Cactus League games.

EDGE Analysis

The 26-year-old got his first taste of big-league regular-season action last season with the Padres, slashing .215/.282/.277 across 71 plate appearances over 34 games. Allen was then traded to the Athletics in January in the transaction that sent Jurickson Profar to San Diego, and the backstop is now battling promising prospect Jonah Heim for the right to serve as Sean Murphy's primary backup behind the dish. Heim has made a strong impression in his own right -- the 24-year-old is hitting .333 through 11 Cactus League contests -- so the job battle is one that could come down to the final days of spring training.

Allen and a player to be named later were traded to the Athletics from the Padres on Monday in exchange for Jurickson Profar, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Allen made his major-league debut for the Padres in 2019, where he hit .215/.282/.277 with three RBI and 21 strikeouts over 71 plate appearances. He'll provide organizational depth at catcher in 2020 behind Sean Murphy (knee) and Josh Phegley. This move is good for Allen's long-term prospects, as he is a bat-first catcher (career .844 OPS in the minors) who would benefit from the ability to get starts at designated hitter, although that may not be in the cards this season.