Chris Devenski Is “Ready to Help the Diamondbacks Win”
Right-handed Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Chris Devenski was not surprised that the Houston Astros let him go in September of 2020. He had struggled due to his health. For 2019, he went 2-3 with a 4.83 ERA (109 ERA-minus) in 69 innings across 61 games. He gave up 13 home runs while striking out 72 and posting a 1.304 WHIP. It got worse in 2020, where he pitched only 3 2/3 innings across four games. Devenski was hit hard, going 0-1 with a 14.73 ERA and a 2.727 WHIP. He had to have arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in mid-September to remove a bone spur in his right elbow.
Making the major league roster after what he’s gone through over the last year has made him “super excited to be here and ready to help (the Diamondbacks) win.” His health was going in his favor this spring, something that he didn’t have over the past two seasons. It took a day or two for him to get his arm used to throwing again, especially after coming back from surgery. But after that, his arm has felt great. Devenski said that getting his range of motion back was “pretty awesome” to feel again. His fastball has had life on it that it didn’t have over the past two seasons, but he’s felt great about every pitch. It translated to success in the spring, albeit over a limited sample size. In seven innings, he did not allow any runs, posting a 1.000 WHIP and an opponent batting average of .167.
Special Meaning to This Opening Day
This Opening Day has a bit more meaning for him because of what he’s gone through over the past few years. There is an added special meaning to this game being at Petco Park. Devenski hails from Cerritos, California, which is between Los Angeles and Anaheim. He used to head to San Diego and watch Padres games in high school from one of the condos overlooking left field. The father of a friend of his rented a place on the 15th floor every summer. “We could see the game, but we could never see the left fielder (because our view) was cut off from the scoreboard,” he said.
This is his first time being inside Petco Park, however. The feeling when walking into a new stadium is exciting for him. “You try to take it all in and try to enjoy it as much as you can. You can’t take anything for granted in this game, (because) you never know when you’ll be back.” Being inside Petco Park is “for sure going to have some good meaning behind it.”
Role with the Diamondbacks, Excited for the Season
Devenski was a regular multiple-inning guy with the Astros but also feels ready to come in during high-leverage situations. “I love that role, and it’s definitely something I have some experience in. When the game is on the line, you want to be out there. You want to have that ball and get three outs and hand it off to the next guy, or vice-versa. Whichever way it shakes out — seventh, eighth, ninth — I’ll be ready.”
The Diamondbacks appealed to him because of the way they approached him and wanted to get to know him as a person. “It was easy for me to share a part of who I was — my work ethic and who I am as a human. (Also), it was easy to learn them.” These meeting made it clear to him that Arizona was where he wanted to be. “It just felt right. I also felt like the opportunity was right because it’s close to home…. I’m thankful to be here, and I’m ready to keep rolling after a good spring.”
Devenski still does not feel like he is in mid-season form. He is ready to work with the coaching staff and try to reach his full potential. “It was a good spring. If that’s just the start of it, I’m going to be excited to see what I can do this year.”
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