Brett Lawrie faults turf for absences

New Oakland Athletics third baseman Brett Lawrie has a grassy-knoll theory -- in a roundabout sort of way -- as to why he missed so many games the past three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Lawrie, who joined the A's as part of the five-player trade that sentJosh Donaldsonto the Blue Jays, thinks the artificial turf of Toronto's Rogers Centre is mostly to blame for his missing 184games since the start of the 2012 season.

And, with exceptions of American League visits to Toronto and St. Petersburg, Florida (against the Rays), he's quite pleased he'll be running around on real grass and real dirt in Oakland next season.

"It treats my body kind of silly and throws it off," Lawrie said of the artificial turf during a conference call Monday. "I just want to go out and be healthy, and I feel like this getting off the turf is a big step forward for me."

Lawrie played just 70 games last season, with only one at-bat after June 22, because of a broken finger and an oblique strain. He hit .247 for the season with just 12 home runs and 38 RBIs.

"Give me 550 at-bats. These are things I haven't had yet in the big leagues," Lawrie said. "Hopefully, getting off that turf will do my body wonders, and I really think that it will. I feel I will show my true talents.

"[Injuries] are part of the game, and I've come to grips with that. The beautiful thing is that those things are in the past and we're moving forward into 2015. It's a fresh chapter."