{"id":45218,"date":"2021-03-29T14:53:34","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T18:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=45218"},"modified":"2021-03-29T14:53:34","modified_gmt":"2021-03-29T18:53:34","slug":"diamondbacks-spring-training-20210328","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2021\/03\/29\/diamondbacks-spring-training-20210328\/","title":{"rendered":"Diamondbacks Spring Training 2021 Notes: March 28"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diamondbacks Spring Training Notes: March 28, 2021<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Four days remain until Opening Day. Here are updates from the last 24 hours of Arizona Diamondbacks spring training…<\/p>\n

Nick Ahmed is starting to have some discomfort in the same knee after some backfield at-bats. The official notice is \u201cright knee inflammation,\u201d and he has received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection. As mentioned before, the backfield at-bats were by his own choice due to wanting more at-bats, not due to an injury. He\u2019s going to continue \u201call baseball activities\u201d in camp but will sit out exhibition games until he\u2019s fully ready. The team is anticipating a \u201chealthy Nick Ahmed\u201d for Opening Day.<\/p>\n

Ketel Marte and Eduardo Escobar were feeling under the weather Sunday and were sent home. It was not COVID-related. Catcher Carson Kelly backed up Stephen Vogt Sunday by plan, not by need. His thumb is \u201cfine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trayce Thompson had a great first couple of days in the spring, but overall he didn\u2019t do enough to \u201cget the job done\u201d and earn a roster spot.<\/p>\n

Position players are set. The only remaining spot up for grabs is in the bullpen. They could either recall a minor leaguer or make a free agent signing. What Lovullo is looking for is nothing special \u2014 someone who can \u201ccompete and get outs\u201d and \u201cdo what it takes to help us win a baseball game.\u201d In the meantime, they\u2019ll allow the \u201creally good internal candidates\u201d to \u201cget their outings and execute\u201d and then the coaching staff will make their choice.<\/p>\n

The team has not decided on a closer yet, and they might not at all. If they do, they want to make sure that player hears it first.<\/p>\n

Starting Rotation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Madison Bumgarner (Opening Day)
\nMerrill Kelly
\nCaleb Smith
\nTaylor Widener
\nLuke Weaver<\/p>\n

Lovullo said that Widener \u201chas been throwing the ball very, very well. We were looking for somebody (who) could step in there and give us a very capable outing. Taylor certainly deserves that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The deciding factor between Widener and Taylor Clarke was that Clarke has been \u201cexceptional\u201d in relief. Lovullo didn\u2019t want to \u201cgive up that versatility.\u201d Plus, they had been \u201cstretching out\u201d Widener for a starting role, so they continued down that road. They could have gone either way and ended up choosing Widener.<\/p>\n

Taylor Widener<\/strong><\/p>\n

Widener found out Friday as he was leaving the complex that he\u2019d be the #4 starter. He had just started towards home when pitching coach Matt Herges called him and asked him to come to Lovullo\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

Widener feels that his slider was the key this spring. He started landing it for a strike again, which built his confidence. \u201cYou can\u2019t overpower everybody at this level. You have to pitch,\u201d he said. He didn\u2019t really tweak anything to get the pitch back online. The heat map showed that he kept throwing his slider below the zone. Since other teams see that, too, they knew to lay off, so he knew he had to fix that location problem.<\/p>\n

He gets to make his first start in the same place he made his major league debut. Widener hadn\u2019t thought about it before getting asked about this, but he\u2019s excited that this time he\u2019ll get to have family come watch him.<\/p>\n

He called his parents first and swore them to secrecy, since the news wasn\u2019t public yet. \u201cI (didn\u2019t) want to get in trouble already,\u201d he said with a smile. His parents were \u201cvery excited\u201d to hear the news, as one would expect. He also called his sister. When he called his wife, she was playing pickleball and couldn\u2019t answer. He told her when she called him back.<\/p>\n

Postgame Reflections<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Lovullo thought \u201cMerrill (Kelly) was solid\u201d in his outing in Sunday\u2019s exhibition game against the Chicago White Sox<\/a>. \u201cAttacking, landing\u2026. You get in the dugout, and it\u2019s fun to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reliever Chris Devenski is still fighting for his roster spot. Beyond that, the team still hasn\u2019t fully settled on the back end of the bullpen. They are leaving open the possibility of going with matchups only and not having a full-time closer. He said definitively, however, that it will not be a \u201cbullpen by committee.\u201d It will be match-up based. However, if someone emerges as a \u201cslam-dunk ninth inning\u201d pitcher, Lovullo will strongly consider him for a full-time job.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>