Diamondbacks’ infielder Chris Owings off to a hot start

PHOENIX — After a head-first slide into home plate against the San Francisco Giants in 2014, Chris Owings was not the same.

The Arizona Diamondbacks infielder injured his left shoulder on the play and the pain lingered longer than expected. Surgery followed to repair his posterior labrum and recovery came next.

Owings, however, feels as though he never fully got his power back until now, more than 2.5 years later.

Owings has started the 2017 season off as hot as the Arizona desert, leading the team in batting average (.309) and tying for the lead with Paul Goldschmidt in hits (60) entering Friday’s game in Miami.

His latest heroics include a go-ahead RBI single in the 14th inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a rain-delayed victory on Wednesday.

In his mind, the shoulder is finally close to normal.

“I feel like I am starting to get healthy again,” Owings said during the team’s recent homestand against the Chicago White Sox. “I feel like I am starting to come back from that (surgery) and starting to get some of my pop back.”

Owings appears to have that pop this season as he already has matched his career high in home runs (six), which he set in 2014.

Although the surgery was a while ago, the recovery has not been perfect for Owings. It has taken time to get the power back in his swing.

“It’s been a long time. I had the surgery in 2014, so it’s been a struggle ever since,” Owings said, adding that “2015 was a tough year and just trying to get healthy ever since then.”

Manager Torey Lovullo spoke on Owings’ recovery struggles as a thing of the past and feels he is finally back to where he needs to be.

“I think he’s at full strength,” Lovullo said. “His mind and his body are very healthy and ready each and every day.”

Owings is performing at the level Arizona surely envisioned when it drafted him in the first round in 2009 out of high school. He is playing the best ball of his career, and others have noticed.

He ranks fourth in National League All-Star voting at the shortstop position, according to MLB.com’s first release of fan selections.

Lovullo is not surprised at how well Owings is playing.

“He’s got great bat-to-ball instincts. He’s a well-above-average runner,” Lovullo said. “Every part of what he can do as far as putting the ball in play is going to be very conducive to him hitting for an average.”

Lovullo also called Owings an atypical power hitter whose 5-foot-10 frame may fool you.

Owings is not the only one who has surprised the baseball world though. The Diamondbacks have played well early this season and sit at 34-22, which is tied for second best in the National League.

Owings acknowledged that the team’s success has given him a bit of extra motivation to play better.

“Being on a team like this, you know with a winning record, it’s a lot of fun to show up to the park every day and go out there and perform,” Owings said.