The Diamondbacks are expected to start the year without a catcher/first baseman Adrian Del Castillo. Manager Torey Lovullo said Monday the 26-year-old is dealing with a left calf injury that will keep him out for most of Spring Training (link via Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports). He will be reevaluated closer to Opening Day but it seems unlikely that he will receive enough reps to avoid sitting on the injured list to open the season.
Del Castillo is third on the catching depth chart after that Gabriel Moreno again James McCann. Still, he has a strong chance to win the bench job if he stays healthy. Tyler Locklear will start the season in IL as he undergoes elbow and shoulder surgery. The left-handed hitting Del Castillo has decent first base and designated hitter experience. Arizona doesn’t have a ton of position player depth on the 40-man roster, which leaves a few benches to fill.
After an encouraging 25-game hitting streak two years ago, Del Castillo struggled last season. He struck out 47 times in 131 plate appearances (closer to 36% average) while hitting .242/.290/.392 over 44 games. The Miami product has posted solid numbers during his minor league career, but they’ve always come with a degree of swings and misses. He is a below-average defensive player, who puts more pressure on the bat when most of his work comes as a first base/DH mix.
Pavin Smith again Carlos Santana arranged for the first base group. They will also get a decent number of DH reps, while Lovullo said Ketel Marte he will log some time there in addition to his first job at second base. The D-Backs are reportedly scouring the trade market for a utility piece after their performance Blaze Alexander to Baltimore for help Kade Stroud and minor leaguers. They’ll find someone with a more offensive punch than that Tim Tawa and unregistered invitees Ildemaro Vargas again Jacob Amaya to play that role.
The bottom part of the program can be an even bigger concern if Corbin Carroll opens the season in IL. Arizona’s star right-hander will miss most of Spring Training following hamstring surgery last week. The hope is that Carroll will be back by the start of the regular season. A partner who plays outside Alex Thomas tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he’s working mostly between left field and center field expecting Carroll to be in his usual form on Opening Day.
Thomas has played all three outfield positions in the minor leagues. He played only center field as a major leaguer, logging more than 3000 innings in the middle. Thomas is a quality linebacker who should have no problem filling the corner if the D-Backs need him to go. Arizona is trying to find out Jordan Lawler adapting to the playing field.
Lawlar has a higher offensive ceiling than Thomas over 420 MLB plate appearances, so the latter would be a better fit for the fourth outfield role if everyone else is healthy. They will likely need both players in the starting lineup to start the season, like this one Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will also open the year on the injured list after suffering an ACL injury last summer. Thomas could be the left tackle until Gurriel returns and/or Hope Ryan Waldschmidt he is playing his way to the big leagues.
There is little opportunity for one of the heaviest rosters in MLB. Carroll, Marte, Moreno and Geraldo Perdomo form the highest part of the batting order. Nolan Arenado he is in the worst shape of his career but should be a solid everyday third baseman. The bottom third of the system and most of the bench are very small.
It’s not too extreme on the pitching side, but there are some similarities. Returning free agents Merrill Kelly again Zac Gallen locked out of circulation; Lovullo has already named Kelly his Opening Day starter. Ryne Nelson figures to have a secure rotation spot, but the Diamondbacks aren’t making any firm commitments beyond that.
“I can’t even comment on any speculation or what the first rotation will look like,” Lovullo told reporters (including Steve Gilbert of MLB.com). Right now, it looks like Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt again Michael Soroka they fought for two places. Rodriguez and Soroka will be on the MLB roster, but Pfaadt has several minor league options and could open the season in Triple-A. Soroka has the most experience on that team in the swing role and could be the one most familiar with pitching in long relief if the D-Backs want all six pitchers on the active roster in a five-man rotation. One injury may take the decision out of Lovullo’s hands, but it’s another camp battle Arizona fans will want to follow during the exhibition game.
