Diamondbacks RHP Taijuan Walker nearing return to rotation

PHOENIX — When Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Taijuan Walker steps on a mound again, it will be at a big-league ballpark in a big-league game.

Or so he hopes.

Manager Torey Lovullo wouldn’t commit to Walker’s imminent return to the starting rotation, choosing instead to wait and see how the pitcher responds to Wednesday’s five-inning outing in extended spring training.

“We have some thoughts,” Lovullo said. “We haven’t outlined those and clarified them yet.”

Walker threw 64 pitches while facing minor leaguer hitters from the Los Angeles Angels at Salt River Fields.

It marked Walker’s latest step in recovering from a blister on his right index finger that landed him on the 10-day disabled list more than two weeks ago.

“Everything felt really good,” he said. “Fastball, curveball, slider; the off-speed was really good. Again, I still had the tape on so it’s kind of hard to feel but for the most part everything worked really well.”

Lovullo was among those in attendance and came away impressed.

“He threw the ball really well. He was attacking hitters with a fastball-curveball mix — he was throwing all of his pitches but the ones that stood out to me in particular were the fastball and curveball,” the manager said. “He had a very good curveball. The fastball command was very good. He was able to run it in on hitters. It was a solid day for him.”

Walker has not pitched at the major league level since May 19. Two days later the D-backs placed him on the disabled list.

Since then Walker has pitched a three-inning simulated game and thrown a 20-pitch bullpen session, although with his finger taped so as not to reaggravate the blister.

“We’ll see how he comes out of today’s outing and then drum up the next thoughts, but I don’t want that to keep ripping apart and to rip open to where it keeps setting him back,” Lovullo said.

Walker, 24, is 4-3 with a 3.46 ERA (20 ER in 52.0 IP) in nine starts for the D-backs this season.

If there is any good news to be had during his extended time away from the game, Walker said he’s been able to fine-tune his mechanics. That added work appeared to have paid off on Wednesday.

“I thought it was the best I’ve felt all year. We’ve been working a lot,” he said, referring to pitching coach Mike Butcher, “doing a lot of dry work (throwing without the ball) and stuff and it felt really good today.”

BASE HITS

— Running at 75-percent, taking batting practice and shagging fly balls in the outfield was the pregame routine of center fielder A.J. Pollock, who is in a very good place in his rehab from strained right groin, according to Lovullo.

“We feel strongly that he’s headed in the right direction and where that takes us, we’re not sure. We don’t want him to do anything that his body is not going to allow him to do comfortably,” Lovullo said. “The next set of thoughts are to have him run a little bit more aggressively, close to 100-percent as possible, before we draw up a roadmap.”

Elsewhere on the injury front, catcher Chris Herrmann was available off the bench, if needed, after leaving the game the night before with right hand soreness.

— It has been a struggle recently for left-handed starter Patrick Corbin.

In losing back-to-back starts, Corbin has been tagged for 12 earned runs in a combined nine innings. Plus, he’s allowed four home runs.

“I just think maybe a little erratic fastball command,” Lovullo said. “He gives up a three-run home run (at Miami) on a pitch that was mislocated by about a foot-and-a-half and a big league hitter is going to take advantage of that. Those have been the common denominators for Patrick that he’s just having a miss or two in an inning when he needs to be make that pitch.”

Corbin starts Thursday’s series finale.

— Hurried, rushed at-bats on the road versus quality at-bats at home: that’s what Lovullo sees as the biggest reason for the D-backs’ discrepancy in their road-home splits.

And the solution is quite simple, according to Lovullo.

“We just need to take that same mindset (at home) that we can grind things out when needed and not have quick innings. I think all of that will translate into more productive at-bats and better numbers,” he said.

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