PHOENIX -- Aaron Hill feels a comeback coming in 2015, and his resume suggests the distinct likelihood.
His greatest wish is that an address change is not involved
"I'm going to bounce back and have a great year," Hill said. "I'm hoping it is here. But whether it is here or somewhere else, that's not up to me.
"I hope I'm part of this. I do believe we have a really good team here. A piece here or there and I think we are going to be just fine. I'd like to see it through, but that is not in my control."
Given Hill's season, the way he is being used and his contract status, it is not difficult to understand his uncertainty.
While Hill's production numbers are near his career averages, he is hitting .243, his lowest batting average since joining the D-backs from Toronto in the 2011 stretch drive to the NL West pennant. Hill was made available at the July 31 trading deadline, when the D-backs shed Martin Prado and Gerardo Parra, but the team received very limited interest. The fact that Hill is owed $12 million in each of the next two seasons was certainly a factor.
Recently, Hill has lost regular time at second base when the D-backs moved Chris Owings from shortstop, getting a look at a future infield that could include Owings at second base and Didi Gregorius at shortstop. Hill has started at second only once since Owings returned from a rehab assignment at Triple-A Reno on Sept. 1, making his other five starts at third base, the first time he played there since his rookie season in 2005.
It all has added to a difficult year, and the position players may have carried a disproportionate amount of the burden in the early weeks as they attempted to compensate for injuries to starting pitchers Patrick Corbin and Bronson Arroyo while also filling the void left by the loss of bats Mark Trumbo and A.J. Pollock and, later, Paul Goldschmidt.
"Aaron has busted his tail. He's taken it as hard as anybody," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said.
The D-backs' 8-22 start seemed to hit everyone hard, and like most, Hill felt it.
"It was such a bad month for us. We were just blown away, because none of us thought it was going to be that bad. So everyone was just kind of looking around, saying what do we do?" Hill said.
"So when you are searching for answers, you try to do things ... when a team is not playing well, everyone tries to do a little too much. And you dig yourself in a hole, and eventually it is a little too late to get out of it. I think momentum can be a positive or a negative thing. It goes in both directions.
"It's just kind of unfortunate. There is no way to spin how or why we are where we are at right now. You have years like this, and it is unfortunate, and this is one of those years. I just hope we can finish strong and end on some of a positive track for next year."
Somewhat lost in the D-backs' season is the fact that Hill remains one of the most productive players at his position in the league. He has 58 RBI, third among NL second basemen behind Chase Utley and Neil Walker and is fourth in doubles (25). He is tied for fourth with 10 home runs and is fifth in slugging percentage (.369).
Hill's fielding average is above the league average at second. And while advanced metrics suggest Hill is covering less ground, most D-backs middle infielders rank lower in range factor this season than last, which may simply reflect the fact that the pitching staff is giving up more fly balls this season.
There is no reason to believe Hill, 33 next spring, will not return. He had 36- and 26-home run seasons with Toronto in 2009-10, but had only six in almost five months with the Blue Jays before being traded to the D-backs with John McDonald for Kelly Johnson on Aug. 23, 2011. He hit .315 with 12 doubles in 33 games here that season, and followed with another Silver Slugger season, hitting .302 with 44 doubles, 26 homers and 85 RBI in 2012.
A fractured hand sidelined Hill for two months in 2013, but after returning in late June he was on a similar pace to 2012 -- 21 doubles, 11 homers, 41 RBI in 87 games.
"It's baseball. I've been around long enough, you know you are going to have good years and you are going to bad years. I've had both," Hill said.
Money played a part in Hill's trade to Arizona. The Blue Jays had an $8 million option on Hill in 2012 that they were not inclined to accept. After the 2011 season, Hill and the D-backs agreed on a two-year, $11 million deal to replace the $8 million option.
Hill signed a three-year, $35 extension after his big 2012 season, and he understands the ramifications moving forward.
"That's baseball, though. It's a business," Hill said.
"They know what I can do. They know what I am capable of doing. I hope that is good enough for them, but we'll see."
Ender Inciarte led off all three games of the San Diego series the same way, with an opposite field double to left. He scored in the first two games of the series but was stranded at third Sunday. Inciarte has reached safely in his last 10 home game, hitting .350 with six stolen bases.
.346 -- Cody Ross' batting average since returning from the disabled list Sept. 2. He singled and scored in the eighth inning.
*Right-hander Zeke Spruill pointed to his big grin. "This is all I can do right now," he said when asked to describe his daily-double Sunday, when he had his first major league victory and his first major league hit. Spruill gave up an infield single and a walk in three innings while winning in his 10th career appearance, his fourth this season. He has not allowed an earned run in his last seven innings. He is not picky about a role moving forward. "I want to be here and I want to pitch," Spruill said. "I don't care whether it is starting, relieving, long relieving, short relief."
*A.J. Pollock basically stole a run in the D-backs' five-run third inning. With runners on first and second and two outs, Mark Trumbo singled to center to score Chris Owings. Pollock took third on the throw home, and San Diego catcher Yasmani Grandal threw back to second base to get Trumbo in a rundown. Seeing that, Pollock broke for the plate and made it easily when Grandal did not cover home, remaining about 10 feet in front of the plate after his throw to second.
"It didn't look like there was anyone at home," Pollock said. "It was one of those things where you didn't have anything to lose. I was already in a rundown." Padres pitcher Odisamer Despaigne, backing up the play about 10 feet behind home, caught the return throw but could not reach Pollock. "You're screwed where you are at," Kirk Gibson said of the play. "We got guys hung up. You do the best you can."
*Trevor Cahill had a 5-2 lead but could not stay in the game long enough to quality for the victory. He was removed after giving up four runs on five hits, two walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch in four innings. "It could be better," Gibson said. Cahill has hit a wall in his last four starts. After dropping his ERA to a season-low 4.54 following a quality start in Washington on Aug. 20, he has given up 16 earned runs in his last 17 innings over four starts. "It's frustrating, but that's the way it goes," Cahill said. "I felt a lot better today. It just seemed like every pitch I left up, they hit."
Something to build on. Zeke Spruill became the fifth rookie to record his first D-backs' victory this season, joining Chase Anderson, Mike Bolsinger, Evan Marshall and Eury De La Rosa. Anderson, Marshall and De La Rosa have made strong cases for spots in 2015, and Spruill and Bolsinger should be in the mix moving forward.
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