Arizona Diamondbacks still looking to get to full strength
Jun 19, 2013, 3:15 AM | Updated: 7:43 am
The Arizona Diamondbacks entered the 2013 season with quite a few key players on the disabled list, and every time it looks like they’re going to get some guys back, a couple more get hurt.
As of Tuesday night, Arizona has seven guys on the DL with Matt Reynolds, Brandon McCarthy, Eric Chavez, J.J. Putz, Aaron Hill, Adam Eaton and Daniel Hudson.
Before Tuesday’s game against the Miami Marlins, D-backs manager Kirk Gibson gave the media some injury updates,
“(Eric) Chavez is here,” Gibson said. “He hit today off the tee and I think he hit some off the machine; he ran and took some extra ground balls.”
Chavez is dealing with a strained right oblique and was put on the DL on May 31. So far he seems to be making progress each day.
“He’s coming fast right now,” said Gibson. “Hopefully it’ll stay the same.”
Closer J.J. Putz was put on the disabled list on May 8 with a strained right elbow. Putz has been working his way back here in Arizona and is now headed to Reno for some rehab starts.
“J.J. went down there; he’s on his way to Reno right now,” said Gibson. “I think he’s going to throw Thursday, Saturday and maybe Monday, Tuesday. Get him back to back and see how he’s feeling.”
This isn’t the first time Putz has dealt with elbow issues. He missed a month of the season in 2012 and missed most of 2009 after surgery to remove some bone chips in his elbow.
Gibson was also asked how Putz will fit back into the bullpen upon his return.
“I don’t have an answer for you right now for what we’re going to do,” said Gibson. “We haven’t really talked about it. I think right now our focus is on getting him healthy, making sure he’s ready to pitch here. We do want him to be able to throw back to back days when he comes back.”
Gibson’s concern about Putz throwing back-to-back days is even more crucial over the next couple weeks with Ian Kennedy out and Eric Hinske’s looming suspension due to the brawl in Los Angeles.
“We’re going to be short a guy certainly next week and then with Hinske me might be short a guy then too so I want him to be able to throw back to back,” said Gibson. “For him to be able to come up and throw one day and then have to take a day off, we can deal with it but this probably isn’t the best time to deal with it.”
As for the others on the DL, second baseman Aaron Hill was in the lineup again on Tuesday for Triple-A Reno and the D-backs hope to get him back soon. He’s coming back from a broken hand he suffered back in April and starter Daniel Hudson underwent successful Tommy John surgery Tuesday as well.
