The right-hander will carry those struggles along with a 12.86 ERA into his next start Thursday against the Atlanta Braves, seemingly with his spot in the rotation on the line.

Or not.

"We don't think like that," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson told Arizona Sports 620's Burns and Gambo. "We think that he's going to go out and that he's going to do well."

Gibson, always one to promote a positive environment around his ballclub, said the coaches have gone over Collmenter's struggles with the pitcher, but are in no way planning on giving up on him.

"I don't sit here and go 'well, if he doesn't throw good this game he's out of here,'" he said. "We're not going to be that way, we just don't talk that way. We try and predict success and we're trying to encourage positive thoughts.

"We're trying to get him back on track."

Part of the reason for Gibson's optimism has to be the fact that Collmenter pitched well for him last season, where he won 10 games and posted a 3.38 ERA.

And, while the idea may disappoint some, it appears Gibson will give Collmenter every opportunity to work out of this funk he's in and return to the form he displayed in 2011.

"We've stuck with Colly and we're going to continue to do so," he said.