D-backs to flip-flop starting rotation, expect Adam Jones on road trip

PHOENIX — Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Jones ought to grab his passport.

The outfielder was removed from Tuesday night’s 9-0 loss to the Dodgers with what was described as right hamstring tightness. He is day-to-day, and manager Torey Lovullo said Wednesday that Jones would accompany the team on its trip to Toronto, where they’ll begin a nine-game road trip following a Thursday off-day.

“Adam woke up a little bit sore, but he felt like it was still the cramping and soreness associated with cramping,” Lovullo said Wednesday. “But we just decided we want to get a precautionary MRI, so he’s getting an MRI right now just to make sure he’s okay.”

Any missed time for Jones would be painful for the D-backs, who have enjoyed a productive season from the 33-year-old as he’s hit .276 with 12 home runs, 37 RBI and an .821 OPS. He was not in the lineup on Wednesday.

“From the information I’m getting, I don’t feel like it’s going to be something that’s going to cause him to miss a lot of time,” Lovullo said. “However, we can probably just put a little tag on that. I’ve been wrong before with my assessments. I’m not the doctor. But I’m going to remain optimistic that it’s just going to be the cramping as we had predicted or talked about last night.”

TRADING PLACES

The D-backs have an off-day on Thursday following the conclusion of their homestand, giving them the chance to play with the order of the starting rotation.

They will take that opportunity, having Merrill Kelly pitch on Friday with Zack Greinke going Saturday and Robbie Ray on Sunday. Had they stayed in their normal order, Greinke would’ve pitched Friday before Kelly on Saturday.

In Greinke’s last start, which was on Saturday against the Mets, he called for a trainer in the fourth inning but stayed in the game. It was later announced as neck stiffness.

“Because Zack had a little bit of a neck issue, we had the ability to give him an extra day,” Lovullo said. “The neck is responding perfect and he’s feeling well. We just felt like everything that he’d been through and the tightness that he felt, the extra day would do him some good.”

JAKE LAMB PROGRESSING

Infielder Jake Lamb, who hasn’t played since he injured his quad on April 3, planned on doing more baserunning on Wednesday to “finalize his baserunning progression,” Lovullo said.

“Once he gets through today, we can fast forward and start to schedule some thoughts around getting him out on a rehab assignment. So today’s a big day for him. It is a final box that he needs to check.”

Lovullo hinted Tuesday at the possibility of Lamb going on a rehab assignment this Friday.

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