SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Closer J.J. Putz threw a 40-pitch bullpen session on a back field Saturday in preparation for his first spring training appearance Friday.
Putz, who likes to split his spring between the back fields and games, had a career-high 45 saves in 2011 while pitching in only two major league games last spring. It is part of the plan Putz and manager Kirk Gibson hashed out early on, and it has nothing to do with the strained elbow that cost Putz a month last summer.
“It’s not being cautious at all. It’s actually very aggressive. J.J. is a light-hearted guy and he is comedic in his own way, but he really puts a lot of thought in different ways to approach different hitters in his situation as closer. That’s the way he wanted to do it, and we agreed,” Gibson said.
“He’s getting after it on the back mound. He threw all his pitches. He is working on different locations of different pitches, different sequences. This gives him a chance to work on different sequences. He is trying to perfect it and take it into a game.”
PITCHERS WILL JUST PITCH
Jason Kubel, Geoff Blum and Konrad Schmidt have been used as designated hitters in the D-backs’ first three games, manager Kirk Gibson saying he wants his pitchers to concentrate on their primary job early in spring.
Except for Trevor Cahill, who did not hit much while with Oakland in the American League, Gibson said the D-backs’ pitchers will not begin hitting in home games until their next meeting with the Giants on March 20.
“I don’t want them to be hitting too much, because pitching is the most important thing. I don’t want them to get sore. They’ve done a fair amount of it already,” Gibson said.
Pitchers have taken batting practice from coaches in camp in addition to the normal fielding drills and base running drills.
MONDAY’S PROBABLES
Daniel Hudson will make his first spring start against Colorado right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, the second meeting in three days between the Salt River Fields training partners. Hudson was 1-2 with a 2.73 ERA in four career regular-season starts against the Rockies.
Scottsdsale native and resident Charles Brewer also is scheduled to pitch, along with Kevin Munson, Brett Lorin, Bryan Shaw, Jonathan Albaladejo, Jensen Lewis and Yonata Ortega, all righties.
NOTES
Ian Kennedy threw 29 pitches, one short of his scheduled limit, before being removed after the 41-minute bee break Sunday. “I was ready to go back out there, but it (delay) was much too long. For me, you try to get your command back and your feel for a game,” said Kennedy, who threw one live batting practice session before his first starts. … Rusty Ryal did not play Sunday after suffering right groin soreness Sunday, a day after he was removed from an exhibition game when he pulled up at second base after an RBI-double against the Giants in Scottsdale. Ryal said he felt the injury during drills Thursday but felt sufficiently healed to play Saturday. “I want to make sure, especially right now, that any opportunity I get to play I play. Unfortunately it didn’t hold up like I thought it was going to,” said Ryal, who made the major league team out of spring training in 2010, is battling for a reserve spot this spring. … Left-hander Tyler Skaggs reported no issues after a 40-pitch bullpen session Sunday morning, two days after being scratched from a scheduled start because of shoulder tenderness. “No soreness. Everything went great,” said Skaggs, who is scheduled to make his spring debut Wednesday behind starter Trevor Cahill. … Justin Upton was given Sunday off, and Gibson said Chris Young, Willie Bloomquist and Miguel Montero are scheduled to be off Monday.
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