HOUSTON -- Ask around the A's clubhouse and you'll hear high praise for rookie manager Bob Geren, with much of it focusing on Geren's communication skills.

Outfielder/first baseman Nick Swisher takes it a step further, saying Geren should already be drawing notice as a favorite to be named American League Manager of the Year.

"Everybody in here loves him," Swisher said Thursday before the finale of a three-game Interleague series against the host Astros at Minute Maid Park. "And who's had to deal with as many injuries as Bob has and still has his team in contention. I think he's done a heck of a job."

Outfielder Mark Kotsay, who went public with criticism of former manager Ken Macha's style after Macha was fired at the end of the 2006 season, suggested that Geren works at the opposite end of the communication spectrum.

"He's definitely open to talking about things," Kotsay said. "He says his door's always open, and it is."

Geren won't have any part of awards talk, in part because nearly two-thirds of the season remains, but mostly because he'd rather credit his team for refusing to feel sorry for itself in the wake of injuries to key players such as starting pitchers Rich Harden and Esteban Loaiza, relievers Huston Street and Justin Duchscherer, and middle-of-the-order threats Mike Piazza and Milton Bradley.

"I don't think the manager can really give a team character, and that's one of the biggest strengths of this team," Geren said. "You either have it or you don't, and I'm lucky enough to have a team that has a ton of it."

Missing Mulder: A's shortstop Bobby Crosby was one of former A's ace Mark Mulder's best friends when they played together in Oakland. They lived together during the season, hung out together on the road and generally enjoyed a sibling-like relationship.

Mulder was traded to St. Louis after the 2004 season, but the two remain in fairly close contact, so Crosby is more than a little bummed that Mulder, recovering from shoulder surgery, won't be with the Cardinals when they come to Oakland this weekend for a three-game series at McAfee Coliseum.

"I called him the other day and left a message just to see how he's doing, but I haven't heard back from him yet," Crosby said. "I was hoping he'd be coming out here, but [Mark] Ellis said he's not traveling with the team."

Ellis lives near Mulder in Arizona during the offseason and has been close with him for years.

Mulder, who couldn't pitch for St. Louis during its World Series run last season because he had labrum and rotator cuff surgery late in the season, was hoping to return to the Cardinals by shortly after the All-Star break, but his recovery isn't going well and he might miss the entire year.

Dribblers: Harden played catch in the outfield and will throw in the bullpen on Friday in Oakland. If that goes well, he'll also throw a side session on Saturday and take Sunday off. The plan for Monday is to either throw in a simulated game in Oakland or pitch in an extended Spring Training game in Arizona, after which he'd take Tuesday off and be available out of the A's bullpen on Wednesday. ... Outfielder Shannon Stewart said his sore right foot felt "a lot better" and took batting practice with the team. Geren said Stewart was available to pinch-hit or enter the game as part of a double switch. ... Outfielder Travis Buck's jammed thumb did not improve overnight, and he was again an end-of-the-line option off the bench. ... Assistant general manager David Forst reported that the elbow specialist that Huston Street met with on Wednesday in Toronto gave the same diagnosis as the team doctor. Street has not suffered any ligament damage and will just have to wait until he no longer is stalled by his current symptoms. ... The A's on Thursday claimed righty reliever Ruddy Lugo off waivers from the Devil Rays. Lugo, 27, was 2-0 with a 9.28 ERA and a .362 opponents' batting average in 11 games with Tampa Bay this year before being optioned to Triple-A Durham, where he was 2-1 with a 1.84 ERA in 11 games with the Bulls.

Up next: A's righty Dan Haren (7-2, 1.58 ERA) will get the ball opposite Cardinals righty Braden Looper (6-5, 4.12 ERA) on Friday. The first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PT.