As the Arizona Diamondbacks sluggers swing into full force at Spring Training, the heat isn't only coming from the desert sun. The battle lines have been drawn on the pitcher's mound for the team's No. 5 starter, a position that has become a duel between southpaw Tommy Henry and the right-handed Ryne Nelson.
According to AZCentral, though others may be in contention, signs indicate that Henry, if his elbow issue from July stays a non-issue, and Nelson, with his fiery fastballs, are the frontrunners. General Manager Mike Hazen is known to lean on past major league performances over Spring Training results, a boon for Henry who finished last season with a 4.15 ERA over 17 games including 16 as a starter.
Focusing on the specifics, Diamondbacks' manager Torey Lovullo is looking for "quality strikes with all of his pitches, getting ahead in counts, and finishing off hitters and not letting the at-bat linger," as he mentioned in the same AZCentral report. It's clear that command, especially with the fastball, is high on his checklist for the potential No. 5 starter.
Over at 12News, Lovullo emphasized the race remains tight. "Each of them know what they need to work on this spring," Lovullo told 12News. With resolved rotations for the first four spots, including big names like Zac Gallen and recruit Eduardo Rodriguez, this final role is not to be taken lightly. Nelson, although shadowed by Henry's experience and a slightly higher ERA last season, flashes promise with a fastball clocking in at an average of 94.4 mph. Henry's sits around 91 mph.
The players themselves are playing it cool. "I'm the type of guy that tries not to focus on that stuff," Henry said to 12News, apparently more centered on the day-to-day than the overall outcome. Nelson echoes a similar sentiment about the so-called rivalry with his teammate Henry. Instead of staring each other down, they're bouncing ideas off each other, focused more on individual growth than on the competition.
Meanwhile, Kevin Ginkel, the club's standout reliever from last season, has been sidelined with "right elbow soreness" but is expected to make a comeback with no long-term issues as per Lovullo's words reported by AZCentral. The Diamondbacks hold their breath and bats as the first workouts commence and the high-stakes dance for the No. 5 slot strides toward an exciting crescendo.
