Collmenter glad to be back on mound

Arizona Diamondbacks’ right-hander Josh Collmenter got
back on the mound Wednesday night after missing his last
Cactus League start with forearm soreness.

The 26-year-old threw two innings in his first spring
action since March 3, and gave up 3 runs and 3 hits in a
7-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields.

“I felt pretty good, it felt like I hadn’t been on the
mound in a while,” Collmenter said. “I think in the first
inning, I was a little excited, kind of jumpy and really
tried to settle that down in the second inning, and had
more success with it that way.”

Collmenter got into trouble immediately in the first,
walking Colorado leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler. Jonathan
Herrera singled and then former Diamondbacks’ prospect
Carlos Gonzalez launched a three-run homer. Three batters
into the game, Collmenter was down 3-0.

But Collmenter did regroup in the 2nd inning, getting
Nolan Arenado and Fowler on infield pop-ups, with a
strikeout of his pitching counterpart Juan Nicasio
sandwiched in between.

In all, Collmenter threw 17 pitches, 13 for strikes and
left the game looking forward to normalcy.

“It’ll be nice to have that regular turn around and get
back after five days,” he said.

Noteworthy:

• Mammoth D-backs farmhand, Jonathan Griffin, who stands
6-7 and weighs 250 pounds, got his first Cactus League at-
bat and made the most of it, clubbing a gargantuan solo
home run to center field in the 9th inning off of Rockies
reliever Rafael Betancourt.

“Oh my God,” manager Kirk Gibson commented with a smile on
Griffin’s moon shot. “It looked like it hit the top of
the plants (in straight-away center) and bounced over. It
might have been the longest one I’ve ever seen here.”

Arizona Sports’ Adam Green contributed to this
report

Follow @Vincemarotta