SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Diamondbacks fans might finally get a look at the return on the controversial Trevor Bauer trade Thursday with shortstop prospect Didi Gregorius set to make his Cactus League debut.
D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said Wednesday he expects Gregorius to be his designated hitter Thursday in a road game against the Milwaukee Brewers, and Gregorius was listed on the team's tentative lineup. He nearly debuted Tuesday night as a pinch runner.
Gregorius, acquired from the Reds via the Indians in December along with reliever Tony Sipp and outfielder Lars Anderson, has been sidelined since Feb. 12 with a strain of his right ulnar collateral ligament. The D-backs cut off all throwing then and worked him back slowly.
"We're going to start integrating him into baseball activities," Gibson said. "It’s going very good. At the same time, we're going to stay on the program."
Gregorius has been gradually increasing the distance at which he's throwing, adding another 15 feet or so each week. He threw Wednesday and reported no issues. Gibson said Gregorius took live batting practice for the first time this spring on the minor-league side of camp Wednesday.
While it's feasible Gregorius could break camp with the major-league team, the D-backs are still taking things slow with a player ranked by Baseball America ranks as the organization's fifth best prospect.
"He's exactly on schedule with what we predicted he would be right now," Gibson said. "He's had no setbacks anywhere along the way."
It's undetermined when Gregorius could see defensive action.
