Randal Grichuk Takes First Live BP of 2024
The D-backs signed outfielder and lefty-mashing DH Randal Grichuk to a deal last month. However, it was revealed that the right-handed hitter had recently undergone surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle in January.
While this news meant Grichuk would be held out of Cactus League play to begin Spring, and question marks arose about his regular season availability, the team is hopeful that he will be ready by Opening Day.
However, the right-handed hitter is beginning to work his way back to full operation, as he took live BP today for the first time this Spring. Grichuk faced some high velocity from right-handers Corbin Martin and Ricky Karcher.
The outfielder said that he felt good and that his injury wasn't an issue while taking swings.
“It felt good, honestly it didn't bother my ankle. I felt better than it probably looked mechanically. Healthy, so it was a successful day.”
That said, Grichuk still has yet to work on baserunning, and is not yet running at full speed.
“I’m still running, I'm running right now, but only 60%... We’re still ramping that up, obviously hitting, throwing, everything else is still there, it’s just the running aspect,” Grichuk said.
The veteran said he wasn't sure when exactly he'd be able to move to the next stage and enter a game, but the situation will be monitored to determine his status.
“We’re ramping up running more and more, so it’s just a matter of how well it recovers after 3 or 4 days of running, running, running. If it swells up then it might take a little bit longer, if it holds well then it’ll be quicker. Still kind of hard to tell.”
Manager Torey Lovullo echoed Grichuk's sentiment.
“I think it’s just a matter of piecing it together and pushing it forward day by day. We’ll get the input as to how he did today, what the next steps are, I'm imagining will be more live BP, try to combine that with some extra stuff such as bases," Lovullo said.
Lovullo confirmed that Grichuk is not yet running the bases, but that he'll likely begin working on baserunning before getting any work in the outfield. Lovullo said that Grichuk is "probably" about a week out, although that is not a guarantee.
The skipper did say that Grichuk would enter the lineup for his first action as a DH initially, before putting any outfield strain on his ankle.
With just under three weeks until opening day against Grichuk's former team in the Colorado Rockies, the right-hander will likely be cutting it very close to being fully ramped up to regular season form, especially if he's still a week or more out from running the bases at full speed and playing in live games at maximum capacity. There is a chance he might have to begin the season on IL, although Lovullo and the D-backs seem confident that he won't have to miss significant time.
As Grichuk figures to be outfield depth, and the right-handed half of a platoon DH, his status is one to monitor, as his absence could be a sizable hole for the early weeks of the 2024 regular season, especially in the event of facing a left-handed pitcher.
