The second day of the Diamondbacks' full-squad workouts is here, and manager Torey Lovullo spoke to the media afterward about what went down during today's session.
RHP Kevin Ginkel
Right-handed reliever Kevin Ginkel, who had been experiencing right elbow inflammation, threw his first bullpen today. While there wasn't a great deal of concern regarding Ginkel's status, it was an encouraging sign to see him throwing a bullpen session and feeling generally good.
"Ginkel looked very good, he got to all pitches, and it wasn’t perfect, it was his first bullpen I know, but the shape and the velocity of his pitches was just fine," said Lovullo, "how he came out of it post, I've heard was fine, but we’ll know more tomorrow. But everything seems to be turning in a very positive direction."
Ginkel is a crucial member of this D-backs bullpen. Thankfully, all signs seem to be pointing in the right direction for his health and availability from now on.
RHP Brandon Pfaadt
The young right-hander is coming off a vastly improved postseason and is considered a lock for the starting rotation in 2024. When asked how Pfaadt looked today, Lovullo admitted he didn't get a chance to see much of him, but his limited action looked solid.
Lovullo did note the young righty's goals through Spring and expressed his confidence in Pfaadt's early development.
"[He's setting out to] continue working on the command of all his pitches. Land all of his pitches, and be able to get to a changeup consistently. And he’s going to be just fine, he’s in a really good spot continuing to learn and grow," Lovullo said.
3B Eugenio Suárez
The right-handed power-hitting infielder is coming off a rough hitting year, but one of his best defensive seasons. Lovullo praised his defensive work at the hot corner, as well as his ability to hit balls not just hard, but also with control.
“Real good hands at third base, good actions at third base. Barreling up the baseball, and just seems to be in a really good spot with being able to make good decisions as to where that ball is going when he’s at the plate. Where the ball’s coming to him when he’s at the plate," Lovullo said.
But it's not just the swing or the glove that Geno brings to the table, Lovullo echoed Suárez's reputation of being a positive clubhouse guy and thinks the "good vibes only" are starting to fit in just fine with his new team.
"Second part of him is the clubhouse presence, I think he is integrating himself here after only just a few days of being in camp and just showing some really nice clubhouse qualities that I'm enjoying watching," Lovullo said.
Younger Players
Lovullo was asked about young players like Alek Thomas, and how it could be different coming into camp with a job nearly guaranteed for some of them.
"This is a big step for some young players, they’ve come in, had some bumps in the road, really established themselves, had some good moments late, especially in the postseason. How do they take that, is it something they're going to continue to learn from and keep pushing forward or are they going to take it for granted and take steps backward?"
Lovullo noted his confidence in his younger pieces but acknowledged the process that needs to continue moving in a forward trajectory.
"It's something that I pay a lot of attention to because I don't like complacency, I like players to be comfortable and that's where I think they are, and they're very hungry to continue growing and learning."
On Thomas specifically, Lovullo praised his development but noted some points of improvement needed for the young lefty bat.
"He’s an unbelievable talent... we’re all in on him improving day-by-day, and he accepts coaching, so this should be something where we see him continue to improve through the course of his career," said Lovullo, "Specifically left on left we want to see him improve in that area, and just be consistent with his barrel awareness, and track the baseball, and slug when he can, and put down the bat when he can and take a walk."
OF/DH Joc Pederson
Just a day after the left-handed outfielder discussed wanting to fit in with the young D-backs team, Lovullo noted his efforts to help integrate the veteran and bring him up to speed as a Diamondback.
"I’m watching him from afar, I've had a couple of close conversations with him, and I just want these players to perform and I don't want to overwhelm him at the very beginning," said Lovullo, "but it seems like everything has been going very very well for Joc. He’s a smart player, he’s a really, really smart player and he knows exactly what he needs, so we’re going to get him there the best way we know how."
Overall Roster/Camp Battles
Coming off the heels of a heavy-spending off-season, the D-backs are poised to have one of the fullest lineups possible, with fewer gaps than in previous seasons and the potential for their new roster to do serious damage in the MLB.
Lovullo noted that he thought the current roster was the "most complete" one he's had as a manager, but even those who might not make the MLB cut will serve a valuable purpose in the organization.
"I think at times we've maybe had five or six spots that were open, maybe more. But we know what we have returning in some of our starting pitchers, we know what that opening is, we know what the bullpen looks like, we know what the position players look like, so not only do we have competition for those spots, but we have depth beyond that."
There’s going to be a winner and there’s going to be some losers, and those losers are going to be depth. And that gets very healthy for us as well, because we know we're going to need probably 35, approximately 35-40 players that are going to help us go to where we need to get to this year," Lovullo said.
On the pitching battles, Lovullo noted that it's difficult to keep perfect scores of the guys who are entrenched in those camp battles, but he and the coaching staff will work in tandem with the front office to help make the best roster decisions possible.
Ultimately, the skipper said that while results do matter, the coaching staff and front office won't necessarily put all decision-making stock into whether or not a pitcher gets hit around.
"We don’t necessarily focus on the results so much unless there’s a total breakdown," Lovullo said.
The D-backs are poised for a strong Spring, with young players continuing their development, new additions beginning to fit in, and a roster that is both deep and mostly healthy.
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