Blaze Alexander Ready to Contribute to Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Blaze Alexander was called back up to the majors on June 25 when Ildemaro Vargas went down with a broken foot from a hit-by-pitch.

Alexander injured his oblique muscle during spring training and missed all of March. Unlike most players in his situation who rehab at Salt River Fields, he began his rehab assignment with the Reno Aces on April 8 in Salt Lake City. When that time frame ran out, he was officially optioned to Triple-A.

It took him a few games to get going, as he went hitless in his first 12 plate appearances. He also had several defensive miscues early on.

But over his last 51 games, 229 plate appearances with the Aces he batted .299/.425/.505 with eight homers and 41 RBI. That included a three-game span in mid-June in which he hit four homers.

On defense he's played 154 innings at third base, 136 at shortstop, 88 in center field, and 28 at second base. He made four errors through mid-May, but from that point forward made only two more.

I had a chance to catch up with Alexander prior to Tuesday's game, He hasn't gotten an at-bat or defensive inning since getting called up as of this writing, only appearing twice as a pinch-runner.

What were you working on in Reno the hardest, and where do you feel you made the most progress?

"In the beginning when I first got out there, I was just getting back into baseball shape. I didn't have an opportunity to play in any rehab games out at Salt River. As soon as I went out to Salt Lake, it was, hey, you're in there. So it was definitely a little adjustment period."

How did that impact you and how did you navigate the situation not having a rehab period?

"I feel like my first 50, 60 at-bats were kind of like spring training, just getting the body going, I was trying to build up to nine innings, and even though the oblique could feel good, I had some other other issues, a little like groin soreness. That first month I'd say was a grind for me."

"As soon as we got past all that, the body started feeling good, it was natural. I felt like I was back in season mode, and putting up numbers and just playing really good baseball. The main focus down there was to get back into baseball shape, and once it clicked for me, it was, 'Hey, how do I get back up here?' and I was playing the game hard."

Torey talked about you "receiving some coaching" after some early defensive struggles, and noted you turned that around.

"I had a couple talks with [Minor League Field Coordinator] Rick Short. He would come into town and I would go in the office with him and our manager, Jeff Gardner, and it was like, 'Hey man, let's go to work, no more rehab, you want to be a big-leaguer? Let's get you up there, this is what you gotta do'...it helped out a lot."

What was it like getting reps in center field?

"I never played in the outfield, I played one inning in a showcase game when I was maybe a sophomore or junior in high school, but, and that was left field for one inning. It was cool, it was a different perspective of the game, just being out there. I enjoyed it, it allows you to just be an athlete. If you want the ball, you call it, it's yours.

"I didn't have too much experience out there, my first experience was one of my first games back rehabbing in Salt Lake, and I'd say I played it for four or five weeks, and then it was more like strictly infield."

You are always upbeat, fans and your teammates love you. Where does the wellspring of positivity come from?

"I think I just always had it growing up, I was always at the baseball fields, it was always a happy time for me, I was always running around, playing baseball with my family, whether it was at the Sandlot, when I lived in Indiana, right at our house, we called it the Sandlot, it was our open lot, and all the neighborhood kids would come."

"I just enjoy playing baseball, it's what I do, it's, it's who I am, a baseball player. How can you not be happy, coming to the field every day, and playing baseball. Being with some of my closest friends, guys I've come up with since I've been drafted, Alek Thomas, Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy. It puts a smile on my face, seeing these guys here, too."

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