Butler went 2-for-4 with a single, a double and two RBI in Thursday's win over Detroit. An early hot streak had Butler hitting .377 with three homers in his pocket by April 22, and it seemed like we might see the return of his 2012 self. Unfortunately, in the 39-game span from April 23 through Thursday's action, Butler has hit just .219 with a single home run, and he's now sitting on the lowest batting average (.264) and OPS (.684) of his career.

Butler went 2-for-4 with a two-run bomb in the 4-3 loss to the White Sox on Saturday. Butler is a lefty-killer and he proved to do just that hitting a homer off John Danks in the fourth. Butler is batting .268 with four homers and 20 RBI on the season.

Butler is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rangers. Butler will receive his first day off all season, allowing Mark Canha to serve as the DH and bat cleanup. The 29-year-old Butler is hitless in five straight games, bringing his batting average down to .260. A regular maintenance day was likely overdue.

Butler continued his hot start, going 3-for-4 on Sunday against the Mariners. Butler has not flashed much pop so far with no homers and two doubles, but has at least one hit in every game through the first seven games and has his average sitting at .407.

Butler has flashed some power this spring, hitting five homers over 54 at-bats. Butler comes off a 2014 where he managed only nine bombs over 549 at-bats so the power this spring is a positive sign. He will likely never get back to his 29-homer 2012 campaign, but it seems likely he should be able at least to return to his 2013 15-homer power to go only with his always solid batting average. Butler will hit in the middle of the order on a daily basis for the A's in 2015.

A's manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday that Butler will likely serve as designated hitter when the team faces right-handed pitchers, John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reports. The plan calls for Butler to start at first base against lefties, and while he'll likely get plenty of rest days when the A's face right-handers, it doesn't sound like Butler will be stuck in a platoon. Ike Davis figures to start at first base against right-handed pitching, and it's not entirely clear how the A's will cover the DH spot against lefties.

Butler, who signed a three-year deal with the A's in mid-November, is expected to play first base against left-handed pitching in 2015, manager Bob Melvin told MLB Network Radio on Tuesday. Butler's OPS against right-handers dropped by 130 points from 2013 to last season (from .783 to .653). Against left-handers, he hit .321 with an .847 OPS. The A's frequently use platoons, and it appears Butler could be in one in 2015.

Butler signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the A's on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Instead of rebounding after a down year in 2013, Butler regressed even further at the plate this past season, with his OPS against right-handers dropping by an even 130 points (from .783 to .653). He managed just nine homers in 603 plate appearances, making the decision not to pick up his $12.5 million option for 2015 a relatively easy one for the Royals. The 28-year-old Butler has always gotten on base at a good clip (.359 career OBP), and his pop will be a boost to an Oakland team that managed just 48 homers in the second half of 2014. He figures to serve as the team's primary DH next season, though manager Bob Melvin may look to swap Butler out of the lineup a couple times a week based on matchups.

The Royals declined to exercise Butler's team option for 2015, making him a free agent. This was widely anticipated, as the $12.5 million option would have been a pretty steep price for a declining designated hitter. Butler hit .271 with just nine home runs in 151 games in 2014, but his .310 BABIP and 6.9 percent home run/fly ball rate each marked six-year lows, so there's a chance he could have a bounce back season. Only American League teams will be interested in Butler, but there are only a couple ballparks that wouldn't be an upgrade over spacious Kauffman Stadium in terms of Butler's fantasy value, so there's reasons to be optimistic about his 2015 season.

Butler figures to see increased playing time down the stretch, the Kansas City Star reports. "I plan on using him every day from here on out," said manager Ned Yost. Butler has been losing playing time at DH to Josh Willingham and Nori Aoki of late, but it appears Yost will ride Butler as the Royals attempt to earn a spot in the postseason. Butler has just two hits in his last 32 at-bats, but he notched two singles and an RBI in Sunday's victory over division rival Detroit. On the season, the 28-year-old is hitting .266 with 60 RBI and nine home runs. He's just two seasons removed from posting a .313 average to go with 29 homers and 107 RBI.