D-backs Spring Training Notes: February 26
The Diamondbacks face off in a Spring matchup against the Oakland A's today. Ahead of the game, manager Torey Lovullo spoke to the media about the latest in D-backs news.
OF Alek Thomas
Alek Thomas was scratched from the lineup for this game, dealing with wrist soreness. Lovullo said the issue had been bothering the young lefty for a few days, but it isn't a cause for major concern.
“Just a little right wrist soreness, nothing to set off any alarms. But we just felt like it would be the right thing to pull him back this early in camp and give him a little time to recover from that," Lovullo said.
Thomas is coming off a solid 2-3 performance. He eclipsed 100MPH in exit velocity and recorded a solid base hit against a left-handed pitcher in Colorado's Joe Rock.
The wrist issue looks to be a minor one, but the young outfielder will get some rest against the A's.
RHP Zac Gallen
Gallen was originally slated to start in the March 1st contest against the Cincinnati Reds. Lovullo informed the media that Gallen will, in fact not make the trip to Goodyear.
This decision is no cause for concern, Lovullo said. The skipper explained that it was simply a move to save Gallen a trip and allow him to stay in rhythm with his Spring plan. Gallen will still get the reps in on that day, pitching a back field simulated game.
"We’re going to maneuver a little bit, save him a trip out there. He's going throw on the back field in a sim game… Makes sense to me, part of the plan we mapped out a few days ago, so nothing to read into other than we wanted to keep him at home," Lovullo said.
RHP Drey Jameson
Lovullo touched on Jameson, as the young right-hander recovers from Tommy John surgery. The skipper did reiterate that Jameson will miss the entire 2024 season, which had been a part of the right-hander's recovery plan from the start.
Lovullo did say, once Jameson recovers, that the team will look to stretch him back out as a starter again. The young righty had made a transition in the 2023 season to a long relief role,
"It’s not what he’s going do when he’s around us, we can monitor that. It’s what he's going to do when he’s not around us. Our guys do a really good job of taking care of their bodies, so Drey is an impactful right arm that's going to be stretched out once he can get back on the field as a starter. We feel like he has a lot of ability and a good chance to help us win baseball games as a starter."
Lovullo said the team will be careful about the transition, as there can be a negative impact on guys bouncing between starter and reliever.
“It’s a big ask of these pitchers, it goes back to Randall Delgado several years ago, and we’ve got to be mindful that they're not machines, they’re human bodies, and we’ve got to be a little bit better…"
Jameson has a long road ahead of him in recovery, but the plan in place should allow him to be fully healthy by the 2025 season and ready to make his return as a starting pitcher once he is.
RHP Bryce Jarvis
Lovullo said the team will continue to stretch out Jarvis, but that doesn't necessarily set his role completely in stone. As of now, the right-hander isn't an immediate threat to win the fifth starter job, but Lovullo said the team just wants to see how he competes.
"We're going to stretch him out a little bit, but it doesn't mean he can’t make the team in any capacity. We just want to watch him go out there and compete."
Lovullo praised Jarvis' coachability, and said that Jarvis offers more in his work ethic than might be obvious to fans or outsiders.
"He is a great student of the game, and he has accepted a lot of coaching that’s helping him get better. One tool for me that everybody doesn't get to see is his preparation, and his ability to compete inside of the white lines."
Overall Health
Outside of Thomas' minor injury and Jameson's status on the 60-day IL, the D-backs are mostly healthy.
Lovullo said Right-hander Kevin Ginkel will throw another bullpen session, then a live BP before getting in to any real-game action. The star reliever is working back from right elbow soreness, but the level of concern has been minimal since the issue arose in the previous weeks.
"Everybody's fine," Lovullo said.
The D-backs will face their World Series opponent Texas Rangers tomorrow at 1:10PM, back at Salt River Fields.
