Andy LaRoche had three of Oakland's ereight hits in Saturday's loss to the Rockies.

LaRoche is having a great spring with a .340 average and four homers in 53 at-bats, but it's uncertain whether it will be enough to land him a reserve job. It's between him and Eric Sogard, who is a much more natural middle infielder.

Andy LaRoche went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and two runs scored Tuesday in a 6-2 win over the Padres.

It's LaRoche's third home run of the spring -- one fewer than he hit in 247 at-bats last season with the Pirates. He has his spring average up to .333 and might be playing his way onto the team as a backup infielder with Adam Rosales slated to miss the beginning of the season.

Athletics signed INF Andy LaRoche to a minor league contract.

He'll also get an invite to spring training. LaRoche, 27, was designated for assignment by the Pirates in November and became a free agent after going unclaimed on waivers. The former top prospect has a meager .224/.304/.338 batting line over 1,228 plate appearances in the major leagues. With Adam Rosales likely to miss the start of the season after foot surgery, he has a good chance of making the team as a utility infielder.

Andy LaRoche has elected to become a free agent.

LaRoche was designated for assignment by the Pirates 10 days ago. He hit just .206/.268/.287 in 247 at-bats this year for Pittsburgh, but he doesn't turn 28 until the end of next season and may have a little potential left. He'll probably have to settle for a minor league deal.

Pirates designated 3B Andy LaRoche for assignment.

A former top prospect with the Dodgers, LaRoche never lived up to expectations in Pittsburgh, hitting only .206/.268/.287 in 247 at-bats in 2010. He had good on-base skills and decent power in his minor league career, but the skills simply haven't translated over to the major league level. Now 27, LaRoche should be able to catch on somewhere with a minor league deal.

Andy LaRoche has just 11 hits in his last 90 at-bats.

LaRoche has started just three games since July 4 and is likely to be non-tendered this offseason after posting a dreadful .206/.267/.277 batting line over 238 at-bats in 2010. He's only 27 years of age and should have no trouble finding another job, but it won't be a starting position.

According to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Cardinals are eyeing Andy LaRoche as a potential trade target.

He'll have to clear waivers first, of course. LaRoche, who turns 27 in September, is batting .223/.290/.299 with three home runs and 14 RBI this season and was pushed out of a starting job after the promotion of top prospect Pedro Alvarez. The Cardinals are believed to be looking for options now that David Freese is expected to miss the rest of the season due to ankle surgery.

Andy LaRoche returned to action on Thursday May 27.

Andy LaRoche (back) returns to the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Reds.

LaRoche missed five straight games due to back stiffness. Neil Walker, who had played third base for each of the past two days, will slide over to second base while Akinori Iwamura takes a seat.

Andy LaRoche (back) is out of the lineup for the fifth straight game on Wednesday.

Pirates manager John Russell said that LaRoche could return remain sidelined through Friday as he works through back stiffness. Neil Walker will start in his place again on Wednesday.

Andy LaRoche missed his fourth straight game on Tuesday due to back stiffness.

Pirates manager John Russell said that LaRoche could return anytime in the next three days, underscoring the unpredictable nature of his injury. Neil Walker was 1-for-4 with a double in his place on Tuesday and will likely start there again on Wednesday if he isn't quite ready to go.

Andy LaRoche is out of the lineup for a third straight game due to back stiffness.

Pirates manager John Russell said that LaRoche may be able to play on Tuesday. He was originally held out of the lineup as a precaution, but don't be surprised if this eventually turns into a DL stint. Delwyn Young will start at third base in his place.

Andy LaRoche was ejected from Wednesday's game in the top of the 11th inning for reacting to a called third strike.

He'll join the also-ejected Ryan Church in the clubhouse for an early shower. Bobby Crosby took over for the Pirates at third base.

Andy LaRoche garnered four hits, all singles, and two RBI against the Astros on Sunday.

The Pirates had 14 hits in the game, but only one of them went for extra bases and they tallied just three runs as a result. LaRoche has just one extra base hit in 11 games thus far, but since he's batting .343 with five walks the Pirates should be happy with his play. Pedro Alvarez has cooled after a hot start in Triple-A, so LaRoche should have until at least early June before the club will consider a change.

Andy LaRoche (back) returned to the Pirates' lineup Saturday.

The third baseman is batting sixth against Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez. LaRoche missed several games this past week due to a back injury.

Andy LaRoche (back) will miss a fourth straight game on Wednesday.

LaRoche's backup Bobby Crosby is also hurting right now, so it appears Delwyn Young is in line for another start at third base.

Andy LaRoche (back) is out of the starting lineup again on Tuesday.

LaRoche said, "I'm ready to play right now," but the Pirates will err on the side of caution. Bobby Crosby will get another start at third base.

Andy LaRoche (back) took swings in an indoor cage Sunday and expects to return to the Pirates' lineup on Tuesday.

LaRoche has been out since Friday, when he left a against the Reds with back spasms. He's hitting .222/.364/.333 through 27 at-bats this season.

Andy LaRoche left Friday's game against the Reds with an undisclosed injury.

He appeared to tweak something while getting back to first base on a pickoff throw. He was replaced by Bobby Crosby.