Butler befuddled with lack of playing time

OAKLAND — Billy Butler isn’t pouting, but he’s certainly perplexed as to why he’s been reduced to a platoon role on an A’s club that handed him $30 million to be their everyday designated hitter.

Butler, one month into the second year of his three-year contract with Oakland, was on the bench again Tuesday against a right-hander. He hasn’t started since Wednesday — a stretch of six straight games — and he’s appeared in the starting lineup only eight times in the team’s first 28 games.

“From my end,” Butler said Tuesday, “there’s no answers as to what’s going on. I’m just not playing.

“I’ve never been in this position before. I’ve played every day of my life from when I was 7 years old, so this is something new. I don’t even know how to exactly prepare for what I’m supposed to do because I’ve never had to do it, so I just try to treat it like I’ve treated everything else, like I’m a starter. I know I can do it in this game. There’s not a lack of confidence in my abilities.”

The A’s have avoided categorizing Butler as a strict platoon player, in part, he thinks, because “it’s hard for them to justify saying that because of my career splits.”

Butler actually had reverse splits last season, hitting .269 against righties, compared to .200 against lefties. He’s a career .286 hitter versus right-handers, as opposed to .302 against southpaws, and he’s played in no fewer than 151 games …

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