Alvarez determined to pitch this season

OAKLAND — A’s right-hander Henderson Alvarez could easily point to the calendar and retire his glove for the year, but the rehabbing pitcher is intent on pitching before the season ends.

“The most important thing is to close off the year pitching,” Alvarez said through translator Alex Arpiza on Tuesday, not long after completing his latest bullpen session.

Alvarez, who hasn’t pitched in a game since undergoing shoulder surgery last July, threw 30 pitches in his latest bullpen, mixing his slider, fastball and changeup. As long as he bounces back from the outing without  discomfort, Alvarez will move on to an extended bullpen session featuring two sets of 20 pitches Saturday.

Even then, a simulated session with hitters would likely await him before another go at a Minor League rehab stint.

Alvarez, initially expected to join the A’s rotation in May, has already had to overcome two setbacks — both occurring in rehab starts — and only so many weeks remain for him to try to get through another and prove he’s healthy enough to mount a big league mound.

That’s why he would be perfectly fine making his A’s debut as a reliever this season, allowing him a shortcut of sorts back into the Majors — a …

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