SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Had Tommy John not intervened last season, the Diamondbacks would have fewer available spots on the pitching staff this spring in a normal extension from 2014. They even may have made fewer offseason moves to address the group
The surgeries that depleted the staff will still have an effect; as many as five pitchers who had significant roles in the past and could have been expected to make the roster this season will be delayed in camp.
As the competition for the opening day slots begins, a look at those who will be working their way back this spring:
An All-Star in 2013, Corbin underwent Tommy John surgery on March 25, 2014, to repair a partial tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, a week after he was forced out of a spring training game. He began light throwing late last season and remained in Phoenix through October to continue his rehab program. Corbin plays long toss at 105 feet and is expected to move back to 120 feet Monday. Following that will be throwing sessions at 60 feet on flat ground, then bullpen sessions off a mound. The D-backs target June as a soft return, but nothing is set in stone.
"I just want to be healthy," Corbin said. "Everything right now feels great. When I shut it down last season after throwing for two months and came back throwing in January, everything felt fine. There is nothing wrong with the elbow or shoulder. I don't even think about it anymore.
"Just continue throwing and hopefully when I get on a mound, I want to get things going and not slow-play that and get things rolling. We'll just see when that happens. Maybe take more time throwing to get to that part, but being back on a mound is a huge step in this process. Definitely looking forward to that. When that happens, it will feel like I am that much closer to getting back in a game.
Corbin will return as a starter, where he was 14-8 with a 3.41 ERA in his first full season in the rotation in 2013.
"That's why we are going to take time and make sure everything is right," Corbin said. "And when I'm back, I'm back to where I was a couple of years ago.
Arroyo had Tommy John surgery on July 15 and is playing catch at 75 feet as he works he way toward the long-toss program. He had a different version of Tommy John than Corbin and David Hernandez. All had holes drilled in the bone where a new ligament was attached, but Arroyo's forearm was severed during the process in order for a nerve to be tucked under the muscle. It kept him in a cast about a week longer.
Arroyo believes it is much too early to set a timetable, although he believes he will be ready sooner rather than later. He believes his window will open sometime between June 1 and Aug. 1.
"The beginning parts of the process we are really trying to stick to the program they want me to do, because you don't want to push the envelope," Arroyo said.
"When I get completely pain-free and things really start feeling good, there I think I'll be able to have a better time frame and maybe push the envelope or not, depending what the body gives you. It's kind of like watching the hour hand on a clock. It doesn't look like it is moving, but it is. It is more about how did you feel two weeks ago versus today. It is such a slow process."
Arroyo, who will turn 38 on Tuesday, believes the surgery and rehab could elongate his career.
"In a way, not being able to pitch for 11 and 12 months makes you a bit hungry to get back out there," he said. "I see a lot of my old teammates and friends retiring from the game at about that age (38). When they as how much longer I want to pitch and I say maybe five, six, seven more years, they look at me and think I'm crazy. But I've made my living by doing things other people haven't been able to do. And part of that is longevity and consistency. I'm going to ride the wave for awhile."
The two-year, $23.5 million contract Arroyo signed before last season includes an $11 million option for 2016, and he fully intends to see that exercised.
Relief pitcher Brad Ziegler has been one of the most durable setup men in the majors.
Ziegler underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee on Sept. 9, 2014, after feeling discomfort in the joint since late June. The operation was scheduled as a simpler arthroscopic procedure, but doctors found segments of the knee met bone-on-bone, so the microfracture was done. Ziegler has been playing catch but will not throw off a mound for a week or two. Relievers do not need quite the preparation time as starters and the D-backs believe Ziegler might be ready for the start of the regular season.
"If that's the case, and my knee holds up, I'm all for it," Ziegler said. "I'm excited about that possibility. If it doesn't happen, then it shouldn't be long after that barring a major setback. It's going to be close. I can feel myself getting stronger, which is a good thing, but I haven't pitched off a mound yet."
The most difficult adjustment to the surgery is remembering you had it, Ziegler said. A big University of Kansas basketball fan, Ziegler was told not to go to games because of the stress the constant standing would put on his knee.
"Even if it feels good, if you do something too early you can tear down any of the healing tissue that is growing," Ziegler said. "The hardest part is everyday life. In December, I said, 'I can jump up on this curb.' I did it and I'm like, 'I wasn't ready for that.'"
A sidearmer, Ziegler has been one of the most dependable setup men in the majors recently. Ziegler has made 422 appearances since his first full season with Oakland in 2009, 236 with the D-backs. He has been playing catch overhand since December, to keep from stressing his left knee.
"Throwing overhand doesn't bother it," Ziegler said. "My front leg is pretty stiff and I only have pain whenever it is bent, when I put weight on it
David Hernandez pitches against the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 22, 2013.
Hernandez and Corbin have been rehab partners most of the last year. Hernandez underwent his Tommy John surgery last March 30 and has been on the basically the same schedule as Corbin. He began throwing late last season and remained at the D-backs' training facility through October before picking up a ball again in January. He has not thrown off a mound but expects to begin in about three weeks.
"I expect to be in games at the end of spring training," Hernandez said. "I feel like I'm ahead of schedule, if anything. I guess it just depends on how I feel, what pace they want to go. Right now, it feels like I never even had surgery. It feels really good."
Hernandez said he sees nothing wrong with pushing a forward if he is not feeling any pain. He and Corbin are participating in pitcher's fielding practice and pickoff practice with the rest of the group, although not throwing, of course.
"We're getting close. It's always good to see the end, the finish line," Hernandez said. "You're not really missing spring training, but this is the first time in nine years I won't be full go. It's different but just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I want to get out there."
Hernandez was a candidate to join Brad Ziegler as a top setup man last season before the surgery. He made 208 appearances and had 17 saves with the D-backs from 2011-13 after being acquired from Baltimore.
Matt Reynolds was pitching well for the D-backs until suffering an elbow injury in June 2013.
Reynolds, who had his Tommy John surgery on Sept. 24, 2013, appears most likely to be the first pitcher back from his operation. Reynolds was playing catch by the end of last season and picked it up again in December. He has been throwing bullpens since the end of January, although he still is being monitored. He felt soreness after his early bullpen sessions but said things are better of late.
"We're at that (next) stage, hopefully," said Reynolds, who has resisted setting a timetable for his return because that "kind of sets yourself up for a let-down. Physically, I feel good now. If I come out here and throw the ball the way I am capable of and if my arm is recovering the way I hope it is going to, then ideally I'd like to be ready to go for the season.
"The sooner the better, but if it takes a little bit longer, then so be it. Then that's going to be the way it is."
Reynolds, a left-hander, was 0-2 with a 1.98 ERA and two saves in 2013, when tied a franchise record with 19 scoreless innings at the start of his D-backs career. He suffered his elbow injury in June and attempted to rehab it that summer before settling on surgery.
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