D-backs anticipate ‘a good fight’ to determine middle infield jobs

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It will be the most watched Arizona Diamondbacks position battle in Cactus League play, which for the D-backs begins Wednesday.

And if we are to believe manager Chip Hale, the battle to determine the two middle infield spots — second base and shortstop — may just take all month.

“We’re not going to name any starters for a long time,” he said. “This is going to be a fight.”

It’s a fight, proverbially speaking of course, between Nick Ahmed, Chris Owings and Jean Segura.

Ahmed is the incumbent at shortstop, while Owings appeared in 115 games at second base last season. Segura is the newcomer.

Acquired from Milwaukee, Segura has spent his entire four-year, big-league career at shortstop but will see some time at second base, according to Hale.

Owings will play both second base and shortstop, as well.

Ahmed appears locked in at shortstop, but could slide over to third base, if needed.

“In games you’ve got to have enough at-bats for everybody so maybe just give him a look over there; see what it looks like,” Hale said, before adding, “when you got a guy of Nick Ahmed’s defensive prowess, if you put him in the game it’s hard not put him at shortstop, right, and maybe move somebody else. He’s a pretty darn good defender.”

Ahmed, 25, recorded a .977 fielding percentage, the fourth-best by a D-backs shortstop in club history, in his first full season in the majors in 2015.  Twice he went 20 or more games without an error, with a 24-game stretch from April 13 to May 15.

At the plate, Ahmed hit just .226, but started swinging a better bat late — 15-for-45 (.333) in 16 games in September — before suffering a back injury that forced him to miss the remainder of the season.

“That’s fine,” he said of the competition among the three. “I don’t want anything handed to me, and I don’t think anybody else here does. I’m going to compete and go out and do my job to the best of my abilities.  I think competition breeds a good environment. It’s good to have guys that push each other and we definitely have that.”

Owings, too, welcomed the competition.

“It really hasn’t changed anything for me; just do whatever I can to help the team out,” he said.

Like Ahmed, he struggled at times at the plate last season, finishing with a career-low .227 batting average.

Owings, 24, however, was still recovering from offseason left shoulder surgery, and as a result he was forced to change his swing.

This spring there have been no such issues, according to Owings.

“It’s just fun to be out there and taking swings and working on stuff versus how does my shoulder feel,” he said.

Three seasons ago, Segura was a National League All-Star.  His numbers, though, both offensively and defensively, have declined in the seasons since.

The D-backs hope a change in scenery helps Segura rediscover his 2013 All-Star form.

“His numbers were not awful (last season). Those are pretty decent major league numbers for a shortstop,” Hale said, referring to Segura’s .257 batting average with six home runs and 50 RBI.  “Anytime you go somewhere else there should be a little bit of a shot-in-the-arm for you; you get to compete again against different people.  I hope it is.  He seems happy and my thought has always been a happy player plays better.”

It’s taken some time for Segura, 25, to get used to his new surroundings, but so far Hale likes what he sees.

“He’s got great enthusiasm. He’s an energy player, which we like,” he said.

Don’t be surprised to see Brandon Drury and Phil Gosselin also in the mix at second base, though both are likely to see much of their playing time at third, where they’ll compete with Jake Lamb.

Drury got a 20-game taste of the majors last season, while Gosselin hit .303 in 66 at-bats following his trade from Atlanta.

“It’s going to be a good fight,” Hale said of the middle infield battle. “I believe with Nick Ahmed, Chris Owings and Jean Segura we have three above-average major league shortstops, all three of them with varying ceilings defensively. All those guys will compete and we’ll go with the best 25.”

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