Athletics and DH Seth Smith avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract. Smith was arbitration-eligible for the second time in his career. The 30-year-old batted .240/.333/.420 with 14 home runs and 52 RBI in 125 games last season for Oakland while earning a salary of $2.415 million.

Seth Smith will bat cleanup Thursday in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Tigers. Smith is being rewarded after he hit a game-tying two-run double in Wednesday's walk off win. Coco Crisp is leading off Thursday and will be followed by Stephen Drew, Yoenis Cespedes, Smith, Josh Reddick, Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, Derek Norris and Cliff Pennington.

Seth Smith hit a two-RBI double to tie the game in the ninth and scored the winning run on a Coco Crisp walk-off single in Wednesday's 4-3 ALDS Game 4 win over the Tigers. Smith followed a Josh Reddick single and Josh Donaldson double with a double of his own before scampering home on Crisp's two-out, walk-off single through the right side. The A's not only scored three of their four runs in the final frame but also doubled their hit total. Justin Verlander and Jarrod Parker will square off in Game 5 Thursday.

Seth Smith launched a solo home run in Tuesday's ALDS Game 3 win over the Tigers. Smith got the start at designated hitter over Jonny Gomes because he was 6-for-13 with two homers in his career against Anibal Sanchez, and he took Sanchez deep again in the fifth inning. It's his lone hit this postseason in 10 plate appearances, but he could have earned another start Wednesday against Max Scherzer.

Seth Smith went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBI in Oakland's 12-4 takedown of the Tigers on Thursday. Here's something pretty amazing: the A's scored 12 runs even though the top five hitters in the lineup combined to go 2-for-21 with no homers. Fortunately, the bottom four guys went 10-for-17. It was a close game until the ninth, when the A's busted out with six runs. The A's are currently four games up on the Angels and five games up on the Rays and Tigers for the second wild card.

Seth Smith had a two-run homer and a single Sunday against the Red Sox. The single might have been hit even harder than the homer; it was a laser to right field that couldn't even score Coco Crisp from second base. Smith is 11-for-34 with two homers and three doubles since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 21.

Seth Smith went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and two runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Twins. Activated from the disabled list -- like dominant starting pitcher Brett Anderson -- Smith paced Oakland's offense in the 4-1 victory. Smith missed just over two weeks with a left hamstring strain and showed no residual rust in his return. He's now hitting .243/.350/.429 on the year.

Athletics activated OF Seth Smith from the 15-day disabled list. Smith wound up missing just a little over two weeks with a left hamstring strain. The outfielder will return Tuesday night to a .237/.342/.424 slash line and 11 homers.

Seth Smith (hamstring) could be activated from the disabled list Tuesday. Smith is beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento, and he might need just the one game. The outfielder has been sidelined since early August with a left hamstring strain.

Seth Smith (hamstring) is expected to begin a rehab assignment Monday. The assignment will be brief, with Smith likely to come off the DL by the middle of the week. Smith has been sidelined since early August with a left hamstring strain.