Adam Eaton to return, start for Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday

Adam Eaton, who was projected to be the Arizona Diamondbacks’ starting center fielder and leadoff hitter, has yet to play a game for the team in 2013.

That is going to change Tuesday.

A guest of Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and Gambo Tuesday, D-backs skipper Kirk Gibson said the 24-year-old will be in the lineup when the team takes on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Adam Eaton’s going to come back tonight; he’s going to play tonight,” Gibson said, adding he will be batting leadoff.

The manager also said that Eaton, who injured the UCL in his left elbow during spring training, was just about out of minor league rehab time so the decision was made to bring him to the big league club.

“We’ll play him tonight then give him a day off,” Gibson said, comparing the plan for Eaton with the one the team had for shortstop Didi Gregorius when he came back from injury.

Eaton, who hit .259 with two home runs and a pair of stolen bases in 22 games last season, was batting .390 in 20 spring games before being sidelined.

“It was very nice,” Eaton said Tuesday of getting the call that he would be joining the team. “I felt good, I felt ready, I told them that.

“You want to take your time with it, you want to make sure you’re right, and I think we took the adequate steps to get right.”

To make room for Eaton, the D-backs optioned pitcher Charles Brewer to Triple-A Reno. He posted an ERA of 3.00 in four appearances with the team.

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