D-backs’ Lovullo tweaking lineup strategy; Walker starting at DH

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo is making adjustments to his coaching style as teams search for a new normal amid a shortened 60-game season.

While admitting Thursday that his Opening Day lineup for Friday is prepared, the skipper said he usually has multiple lineups planned out at this point.

“I’m usually built out three or four days,” Lovullo said. “I’m not going do that this year.”

Too many moving parts due to the coronavirus and the weighted importance of every game this season are the main factors influencing Lovullo’s change in strategy.

“(Former D-backs catcher) Chris Hermann, I could tell him three or four days in advance when he was playing. That’s not going to be the case right now,” Lovullo said.

Entering his fourth season as the D-backs manager, some things will remain the same.

“They will always get the information the day before so everybody will know if they are playing the next day.

“I believe in that, to get a good night rest and prepare,” Lovullo said.

He also said he isn’t completely throwing in the towel on planning lineups further out.

“I’m going to still have a mindset of where I’m going to want to go,” he said.

“Things are going to changing so rapidly because of whats going on around us with this pandemic so I really can’t build in anything longer than 24 hours.”

Opening Day DH

Lovullo has a new toy to work with this season and its not necessarily Madison Bumgarner, Starling Marte or Kole Calhoun.

It’s a designated hitter.

Although the manager hasn’t revealed his complete lineup for tomorrow’s matchup against the San Diego Padres, he did reveal one part of it.

Christian Walker will be the D-backs first DH.

Walker missed time after suffering a groin injury on July 12 but was named to the 30-man roster on Thursday.

With Walker locked in at DH, Kevin Cron and Jake Lamb are the most likely candidates to get the starting nod at first base.

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