Rookie Drury ‘bangs the door down’ with Diamondbacks

PHOENIX — During a season in which the Diamondbacks have largely underperformed to date, rookie Brandon Drury has emerged as an unlikely bright spot in the lineup. The 23-year-old entered Thursday’s series finale against the Houston Astros hitting .287 with eight home runs and 18 RBI.

That came after a tough major league debut at the end of last season as a September call up, when he hit just .214 in 20 games with the D-backs, finishing the 2015 campaign in an 0-for-16 slump.

“This year I think he came in with a lot of confidence,” D-backs hitting coach Dave Magadan said. “His big goal was of course to make the team, kind of bang the door down instead of wait for the door to be opened for him, and he’s hit ever since.”

Drury said although he’s started to adjust to the major league level, it hasn’t happen overnight.

“Just getting used to coming and playing in big-league stadiums everyday, “he said. “I think you get used to it over time. I still have a long ways to go to keep working at it and getting better.”

Drury came to Arizona in 2013 as part of the blockbuster seven-player deal that sent All-Star outfielder Justin Upton to the Atlanta Braves. He was drafted in the 13th round by Atlanta in 2010 out of Grants Pass High School in Oregon, where he was a first-team all-state selection.

From there, Drury worked his way through the minor leagues, hitting a combined .303 last season during time with Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Reno. He was called up on Sept. 1, making 56 plate appearances for the D-backs. Although Drury struggled in his first major league stint, it wasn’t due to a lack of preparation, according to manager Chip Hale.

“His approach is very veteran like,” Hale said. “He works very hard, studies almost to the point that we have to joke with him a little bit to get him to smile.”

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Drury’s performance this season hasn’t come at the plate, but in the field. He’s played in 48 of the team’s 55 games before Thursday, starting at four different positions along the way. The rookie has made 19 starts in right field, 10 at third base, eight in left field and three at second.

“That’s probably the toughest thing for a young kid, moving around from right, left, third, second,” Hale said. “He’s done a real good job of handling that.”

Of his four positions, Drury’s best batting numbers have come while playing third base, where he hits .409 with eight RBI. He was almost exclusively an infielder on his way up through the minors.

“Defensively it’s a little tough going around and around, but you’ve got to just get your work in at those positions as much as you can,” Drury said. “I think whatever position I’m at shouldn’t matter because when I’m in the box, I should be in the box.”

Entering the third month of his super-utility role with the Diamondbacks, Drury has proven to be a legitimate power threat in Arizona’s lineup. His eight home runs place him third on the team behind Jake Lamb’s nine and Paul Goldschmidt, who has ten.

“He always been a guy that’s hit a lot of doubles, and when you’re hitting a lot of doubles you know that as you mature and get stronger you’re going to hit a lot of homers,” Magadan said. “He’s really just a line drive hitter that when he gets the ball up in the air it goes out of the park.”

Thrust into the lineup due to a few early-season injuries in the outfield, Drury may have to compete for playing time as the Diamondbacks begin to get healthy. Right fielder David Peralta is reportedly set to come off the disabled list soon, and could rejoin the team as early as this weekend in Chicago. All-Star outfielder A.J. Pollock continues to recover from a fractured right elbow, but won’t resume any baseball activities until July 1.

Drury has clearly shown his versatility, but said he hasn’t had any discussions with the coaching staff regarding his role in the lineup moving forward.

“I have no idea,” he said. “Only time will tell.”