Major League Baseball

Together again: De La Rosa, Webster compete for D-backs rotation

Published Mar. 4, 2015 5:39 p.m. ET

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster should be used to being wanted. Boston insisted on both pitchers in the trade package that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and others to the Dodgers in 2012, and the D-backs needed both for Wade Miley this winter. They have fun with it.

"Actually I went up to him today and said, 'You know what, dude? I think we are twins,'" De La Rosa said to laughs. 

This spring they are more like twelve-tuplets, among the multiple candidates for the several vacancies in the starting rotation. Birthday guy De La Rosa -- he turned 26 Wednesday, when he made his first spring appearance -- seems to have a good shot.

"If he pitches well, there is a pretty good chance he will be in our rotation," D-backs manager Chip Hale said before De La Rosa took the mound against the Rockies. "We know that his stuff does play in the big leagues. When he has pitched well, his stuff dominates hitters."

De La Rosa started and pitched two scoreless innings in the D-backs' 6-2 victory over Colorado in the Cactus League opener for both, working out of a two-on, no-out situation in the second inning He got a strikeout, grounder and outfield liner to escape. He struck out two, and the only hit he gave up was an infield dribbler toward third base.

This is his first real shot at a major league starting rotation, and he plans to make the best of it.

"I feel they are giving me an opportunity," De La Rosa said. "I'm trying to work hard and not throw away that opportunity."

De La Rosa, whose career was interrupted by Tommy John surgery while in the Dodgers organization in 2011, has made 44 major league appearances, including 26 starts, making him one of more experienced candidates for the rotation. He was 4-8 with a 4.43 ERA in 19 games with the Red Sox last season, his most extended major league time. Seven of his first 11 starts were quality starts before he hit a wall late.

De La Rosa combines a 94-96 mph fastball with what Hale called a swing-and-miss changeup. The D-backs would like to see him use his curve ball more to give batters even more to think about it. They have been impressed with his location in bullpen and batting practice sessions.

"His breaking ball, on film, we've seen can be really good," Hale said. "He has kind of shied away from that in the major leagues. We're looking for him to use that more in certain counts. If he has those three pitches, I think he can be a real impact guy.

"He's got tremendous stuff. Now he needs to take that next step and translate that into the game and into good numbers. You look at his major league numbers, they are not great, but his stuff is still there. It is our job as coaches to get that to translate into the game."

The most difficult part of De La Rosa's climb was recovering from the Tommy John surgery after a dominating start to his professional career at the minor league level in 2010 and in a first look with the Dodgers in 2011. He was 4-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 13 appearances, 10 starts, as a 22-year old, with 60 strikeouts in 60-2/3 innings.

"It was hard," he said. "I was thinking if I am coming back or not. I had to work like double before I had it. For me, it was more mental than physical trying to get back."

Webster, who turned 25 just before spring training opened, had a similarly strong early career with the Dodgers. Baseball America considered him the Dodgers' fifth-best prospect in 2011, and the possessor of the best changeup. He was ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Dodgers' system in 2012, and after going to Boston was ranked the No. 49 prospect in baseball.

Webster was delayed early this spring because of a stomach ailment that caused him to lose a little weight, and he is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Friday against Oakland. Webster's fastball sits in the 92-95 mph range, and he also features a changeup and two breaking balls.

"His stuff is great. That's why we traded for him," Hale said. "Another guy who has had good minor league seasons and has shown great stuff. He just needs to translate (it) in the major leagues."

Webster made seven starts with the Red Sox in 2013 and 11 last year, yo-yoing back and forth from Pawtucket to Boston. He was 5-3 with a 5.03 ERA in the majors, with 36 strikeouts and 28 walks in 59 innings in the majors.

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"Nothing better than pitching ahead," Webster said. "Whenever I pitch ahead, my games turn out to be better. That's the main goal for me, to stay ahead of batters and don't fall behind and stay out of trouble.

The major league experience opened his eyes to "just how focused you have to be when you go out on every start

"You can't leave anything in the clubhouse," he added. "You have to go out and give it everything you've got, because you are facing the best baseball players in the world. Sometimes you feel a lot better than others, but every time you go out there, take it all out there.

Webster admitted the first trade was somewhat of a shock, but he recognized the opportunity presented each time.

"Everybody is working hard," Webster said. "You just hope the baseball goes well for you and I'm one of the (rotation) spots. There is a lot of good competition out there. We are all going to work hard, and the right people will earn the spots."

Follow Jack Magruder on Twitter

>> PHOTO DAY: Check out FOX Sports Arizona's Photo Day shoot with the D-backs.

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