D-backs GM not overly concerned about Zack Greinke’s absence
Feb 14, 2019, 8:47 AM | Updated: Feb 15, 2019, 10:41 am
Zack Greinke didn’t report with his fellow pitchers and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ catchers Wednesday, the first official day of spring training.
He’s not injured and is expected to join his team soon, manager Torey Lovullo said.
The D-backs have kept the reasons for Greinke’s absence private, and general manager Mike Hazen said Thursday when he joined Doug & Wolf on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station that he’s not worried about the situation.
“There’s sort of those unwritten and written rules,” Hazen said. “First of all, it’s between Torey and Zack. I think there’s a level of respect you grant players who have done what Zack has done in the game. I think there’s looking at probably one of our most, if not our most, prepared player on a year-to-year, day-to-day, start-to-start basis.
“There’s probably a little bit of wiggle room there,” the GM added. “If Zack needs a couple extra days — we’ve seen him all offseason, we’ve seen him throw ‘pens already. We’ve seen what kind of shape he’s in.”
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Greinke threw a 40-pitch bullpen session at Salt Rivers Fields just a week ago, Lovullo said.
The 35-year-old has been prone to taking it slow during spring training. Two years ago, he didn’t make an in-game appearance until March 3.
Last year, he made it a point to get going early on in spring and admitted after his third outing to worrying about being ready for the regular season.
“I think it’s going to be ready,” he said on March 8, 2018, “but in the back of my mind I’m always a little nervous that it’s not actually going to be there and be ready by the time the season starts.”
His velocity was down and a week after that comment, Greinke tweaked his groin that ended up interrupting the end of his spring.
After Greinke shook off two losses to start the regular season, he rounded into form. He went 15-11 with a 3.21 ERA in 33 starts in 2018.
“We’ll figure it out over the next couple of days,” Hazen said Thursday. “I’m not overly-concerned by it. I’m mostly concerned by Torey’s reaction to it. I think he’s already addressed it.”
