OAKLAND -- The A's know that it's a question of when as opposed to if regarding a suspension of catcher Jason Kendall, who charged the mound in Anaheim on Tuesday, so they've already started preparing for life without their iron man.

"There will be a suspension," A's manager Ken Macha said Thursday before in the finale of a two-game series against the visiting Indians. "Usually they tend to move quickly on these things, so I'd be surprised if we didn't hear something today."

Macha's first move was to start backup Adam Melhuse on Thursday. Rather than squeeze as much out of Kendall as possible before the suspension comes down, Macha decided to get Melhuse ready for everyday action.

That decision was made easier because Oakland's starter on Thursday was Kirk Saarloos. The A's No. 5 starter last season, Saarloos was bumped to the bullpen by the signing of Esteban Loaiza, but Loaiza's trapezius injury moved Saarloos back into the rotation.

"I asked Adam, and he said of the small number of games he did catch last year, he caught Saarloos the most," Macha said. "I believed him."

Melhuse rewarded Macha's faith in him with a two-run double in the first inning.

"Catching every day, for me, won't be much different than what I've been doing," Melhuse said. "I've always prepared as if I'm playing every day, anyway, because as the No. 2 guy you have to know everything the No. 1 guy knows in case something happens during the game."

Kendall, who was suspended four games in 2004 for charging the mound after being hit by current teammate Joe Kennedy (who got five games for his role in the incident) when they were with the Pirates and Rockies, respectively, likely will appeal whatever punishment is handed down in hopes of getting the length reduced. But Melhuse is the only other catcher on the roster, so the A's will need to call up a catcher from the Minors at some point, regardless.

"I asked 'Scoot' [Venezuelan utilityman Marco Scutaro] if he could catch and he said something in Spanish," Macha cracked. "All of a sudden I needed a translator with the guy."

Although the starting catcher at Triple-A Sacramento, Jeremy Brown, was batting .344 with a .417 on-base percentage through Wednesday, it's no given that he'll be the backstop promoted. Brown is far from a defensive specialist, and Macha said he would prefer "defense first."

Defensively, Kurt Suzuki, who was batting .347 for Double-A Midland through Wednesday, is considered Oakland's top catching prospect.

"Suzuki has played with us [at Spring Training] two years in a row now, and he's done very well," Macha said.

Bradley still out: When the A's do call up a catcher, they'll have to send a position player down, and who that player will be figures to depend on the health of outfielder Milton Bradley.

If Bradley, who has recovered from a sprained knee but missed his sixth consecutive game because his right oblique is still an issue, returns to active duty before Kendall's appeal is ruled upon, fifth outfielder Bobby Kielty might be sent down for the third time this season. If Bradley isn't ready any time soon, seldom-used infielder Antonio Perez seems the likely candidate for a trip to Sacramento.

According to A's athletic trainer Larry Davis, Bradley, who breezed through a series of agility drills Wednesday, won't be available for at least a couple more days. He was to test the oblique with some rotational exercises using a long stick Thursday, and he won't be cleared to swing the bat until he's able to pass the "stick test" with flying colors.

Asked if the disabled list would be considered in the event that Bradley can't get through the drill without pain within the next few days, Davis said, "It would be an administrative decision at that point."

Witasick throws: Playing catch is the simplest of acts for a healthy baseball player, but for right-hander Jay Witasick, it qualifies as excitement at this point.

Placed on the DL with a high left-ankle sprain on April 14, Witasick on Thursday got to throw for the first time since going down in a heap at first base April 13 in Minnesota.

"I feel like I graduated today," Witasick said. "It's been a long 18, 19 days."

Cleared for some cardio work on an exercise bike and elliptical trainer while the A's were at the tail end of their recent road trip, he spent the first two weeks after the injury feeling helpless.

"It was tough because I had to be off my feet completely," Witasick said. "Fortunately I was able to maintain a good diet, but other than that there wasn't really anything I could do to stay in shape."

If all goes well, Witasick said, he could return in two or three weeks. A rehab stint in the Minors will be a must.

"It's hard to say exactly when I'll be back because it depends on how quick my arm comes back," he explained. "You almost have to look at today like it's the first day of Spring Training as far as my arm is concerned, but it felt good and the ankle held up well.

"The arm is the thing now. You can tape an ankle, but you can't tape a shoulder."

Dribblers: Huston Street, who missed 11 games with a right pectoral muscle strain before working a scoreless seventh inning Tuesday in Anaheim, was sore and unavailable Wednesday, but is ready to reclaim his role as closer. "We'll put him in there [in the ninth inning], yeah," Macha said. "And if he's in there today, he should be OK for back-to-back days now." ... The A's bullpen was taxed to the point of nearly needing a position player to finish up on the mound during Wednesday's blowout loss to the Tribe, but Macha wouldn't say who that player might have been. "I'm sure there would be a lot of volunteers," he offered. "Every pitcher thinks he can hit, and every hitter thinks he can pitch." ... Macha did say that center fielder Mark Kotsay, an excellent college closer at Cal-State Fullerton, would not be a candidate to mop up. "Remember what happened to a guy named Jose Canseco? They put him on the mound once and he blew his arm out," said the skipper.

Coming up: A's righty Joe Blanton (3-2, 6.14 ERA) squares off with lefty Scott Kazmir (3-2, 3.72 ERA) of the Devil Rays on Friday in the opener of a three-game series at McAfee Coliseum. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. PT.