Semien’s start streak ends

Manager Bob Melvin phoned Marcus Semien early Friday to say he was leaving the shortstop out of the A’s starting lineup for the first time this season.

Semien objected a bit but understood the decision.

“I played myself into a day off. Two straight games, 0for-4 with two K’s,” said Semien, who entered Friday’s game in the ninth inning. “If Skip sees something that you might need a day, you need a day.”

Semien was the only A’s player to appear in each of the first 96 games, missing just three innings at shortstop. It was the A’s longest season-opening streak of starts since Miguel Tejada started all 162 in 2003.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be healthy and ready to go,” Semien said. “I’m here every day and play to win every day, and that’s what I take pride in.”

Semien is hitting .234 but ranks second on the A’s behind Khris Davis in homers (20) and RBIs (48). He had committed five errors in his past eight games entering Friday after making just eight in his first 88 games.

Either way, it’s a far cry from his majors-leading 35 errors last season.

“Defensively, it’s been pretty remarkable,” Melvin said. “I don’t know if I’ve seen a guy make those kinds of strides defensively at the big-league level from one year to the next, and it has to do with his work ethic and routine he has every day.”

Semien batted leadoff Thursday for the first time this year and made outs leading off four innings.

“Sometimes one day (off) does a guy a world of good,” Melvin said. Maxwell’s debut: The A’s are calling up catcher Bruce Maxwell on Saturday to make his big-league debut, The Chronicle has learned. Maxwell, a second-round pick in the 2012 draft, was hitting .321 with a .393 onbase percentage and .539 slugging percentage for Triple-A Nashville. He was the Pacific Coast League’s player of the week through July 17 after going 11-for-17 with four homers and 10 RBIs.

In spring training, he made a name for himself when

Stephen Vogt and Josh Phegley were the only catchers on the 40-man roster.