Hideki Matsui singled twice and knocked in two runs Saturday as Oakland topped San Francisco 4-2.

All six runs scored in the fifth inning, and both starters, Jonathan Sanchez and Gullermo Moscoso, were knocked out in the frame. Doubles from Daric Barton and Cliff Pennington tied up the game for the A's, and Matsui's two-run single put the team ahead for good. With Matsui currently hitting as well as he has all year, he's expected to see time in the outfield once the A's switch to NL parks on Tuesday.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin said Thursday that Hideki Matsui will likely see some time in right field during interleague play next week.

More specifically, he will likely get one start during the series against the Mets and another during the series against the Phillies. Matsui has yet to play the outfield this season.

Hideki Matsui is out of the starting lineup for the second straight day Wednesday against the Yankees.

Matsui isn't hurt, but he's just not swinging the bat very well right now. The 36-year-old batted just .197 in May, pulling his batting average down to .222 for the year. David DeJesus will be the DH for just the fourth time in his career Wednesday while Ryan Sweeney makes the start in right field.

Athletics manager Bob Geren said Thursday that Hideki Matsui is unlikely to start in the outfield this weekend in San Francisco.

The Athletics are playing the Giants under National League rules, so they'll lose the designated hitter. Matsui, 36, has yet to play the outfield this season, so he will likely be limited to pinch-hit opportunities. He's not a strong option in mixed leagues at this point anyway, but look for alternatives in AL-only leagues.

A's manager Bob Geren said Hideki Matsui is unlikely to play at all in National League parks during interleague play.

He's also not starting Sunday for the second straight day. Matsui is batting only .236/.288/.382 with three homers on the year, and with what's become sporadic playing time, particularly against left-handers, he's not usable in standard mixed leagues.

Hideki Matsui is not in Thursday's lineup against the Indians.

It's a planned day off for Matsui. Josh Willingham will be the designated hitter Thursday and bat fourth while Conor Jackson plays left field and bats third.

Hideki Matsui delivered a solo shot off Darren Oliver in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the A's a 5-4 win over the Rangers on Monday.

It was the first and last pitch of Oliver's outing, as Matsui pummeled it well into the stands to give the A's three out of four in the series against the Rangers. For Matsui, it was the lone hit of the day, though if anyone but him was running, he would have had an RBI infield single in the first inning. He did have a sac fly in the fifth. He has three homers and 14 RBI this season.

Hideki Matsui went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Oakland's win over the Twins on Sunday.

The bomb was his first of the season, while the two-hit day could still only up his average to .207. Matsui's bat can be expected to get going soon, but he cannot be counted on for 20 home runs playing half of his games in the cavernous Oakland Coliseum.

Hideki Matsui is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Blue Jays.

A's manager Bob Geren is using a righty-heavy lineup against Jays' left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes. Conor Jackson will start in left field and bat third while Josh Willingham will be the designated hitter.

Hideki Matsui (neck) is back in the Athletics' starting lineup Wednesday.

Matsui was scratched from Tuesday's lineup due to a stiff neck. He is expected to make his first start of the spring in the outfield on Thursday.

Hideki Matsui was held out of Wednesday's lineup with a stiff neck.

"It's much better than it was yesterday," Matsui said through his translator. He's expected to return to the lineup as the designated hitter on Wednesday and is scheduled to make his first start in the outfield on Thursday.

Hideki Matsui's slumbering bat finally woke up on Sunday against the Rockies, as he went 2-for-2 with a home run and two runs scored.

The home run and multi-hit day were both his first of the spring. It seems hard to believe that Matsui is going to replicate his 2010 triple-crown line of .274/21/84 playing half his games in the cavernous Oakland Coliseum, but he should remain an excellent AL-only league option.

Hideki Matsui went 0-for-4 against the Dodgers on Friday, dropping his spring average to .048.

Matsui hit .261 last spring, but his woeful start this year isn't of huge concern after he posted a .309 average to go along with a .402 on-base percentage after the All-Star break in 2010. However, set to turn 37 in June, don't be surprised if Matsui's bat looks considerably slower this season.

Hideki Matsui again failed to collect his first hit of the spring on Sunday, going 0-for-3 against the Brewers.

Godzilla is now 0-for-8 this spring. While his power somehow transferred to the pitcher-friendly Angel Stadium of Anaheim last year, he'll be facing an even tougher task in consistently hitting home runs in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum this season.

Hideki Matsui went 0-for-2 with an RBI walk in an 8-7 loss to his former team, the Angels.

Entering his 19th professional baseball season (including 10 with the Yomiuri Giants of the Japan Central League), Matsui is playing for his third major league club in three seasons. The aging star still can hit, and that is all he will be expected to do as the team's DH.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, Hideki Matsui's new one-year deal with the A's will be worth just under $5 million.

The A's will also cover the cost of his interpreter and public relations person. It's a nice little deal for Oakland, a team that is adding power to its lineup in pretty clever ways this winter. Remember, they plucked David DeJesus from the Royals at the start of the offseason. The A's finished second in the AL West last year with a .500 record (81-81) because they leaned on a really talented pitching staff. The 2011 staff might not be under such pressure.

According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Hideki Matsui will undergo a physical with the Athletics on Tuesday.

In other words, assuming all goes well, the signing will be made official on Tuesday afternoon. Matsui is expected to take over for Jack Cust as the primary designated hitter in Oakland. The 36-year-old batted .274/.361/.459 with 21 home runs, 84 RBI and an 820 OPS with the Angels this past season, including a .309 batting average after the All_Star break. Assuming the A's were able to sign him for somewhere around the $6.5 million salary he made last season, they will have done pretty well here.

The A's are expected to hold a press conference Tuesday to announce the signing of free agent designated hitter Hideki Matsui.

That means that contract terms will probably be agreed upon by Monday night. Matsui, 36, will serve as the A's primary designated hitter and may get a start or two every week in the outfield. He batted .274/.361/.459 with 21 home runs and 84 RBI in 2010 for the Angels. The Athletics offered Lance Berkman a two-year deal worth $16 million earlier this winter before he signed with St. Louis. A similar contract would certainly get the job done with Matsui.

The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports that the A's and Hideki Matsui could reach an agreement early this week.

Matsui would replace Jack Cust as Oakland's primary DH, though he could play left field once or twice a week. He's in line for a one-year deal.

The A's could make a contract offer to Hideki Matsui this weekend, with a decision to possibly come soon after, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Slusser writes that the A's "first move" post-Winter Meetings will be to try to get something done with Matsui. He would be a solid addition to a team in need of some power, but it's got to be deflating for the A's that they're hoping to sign someone that, at best, was their No. 3 choice as an impact bat.