D-Backs planning to stick with 3 catchers

DENVER – The eventual return to health of the Diamondbacks’ position player group figures to create a logjam now that the club has added outfielder Jon Jay to the roster. But from listening to GM Mike Hazen on Saturday it doesn’t sound like the team anticipates solving that by cutting back from three catchers to two.

Asked if he anticipates sticking with three catchers the rest of the season, he said, “That’s the plan right now. But things change all the time.”

Hazen proceeded to spell out the reasons why the team likes carrying three catchers, which, this season, has been Alex Avila, Jeff Mathis and John Ryan Murphy. He mentioned the opportunity to play matchups on a dayto-day basis and to pinch-hit for the catcher, something manager Torey Lovullo chose not to do on Wednesday in San Francisco.

But, more than anything, Hazen believes the demands of the position make it important to split up the workload.

“It’s a very demanding position,” Hazen said. “What we ask from that position, to dedicate nine innings to getting the pitchers through the game with as few runs as possible. There’s a lot of prep work that goes into that, there’s a lot of physical exertion that goes into that. Giving nine innings of your best because you’re fresh is very important to us behind the plate.

“Will we do this forever? Maybe not. Like if we have a guy that’s going to catch for us 110-120 games, we wouldn’t rule that out for the future. But right now, we’re not set up that way.”

Once Steven Souza Jr. and A.J. Pollock return from injury, the club will have decisions to make on its roster. Assuming no other injuries occur – and assuming the club sticks with three catchers, as Hazen intimated – infielder Deven Marrero could be the first position player to lose his roster spot, though infielder/outfielder Chris Owings’ performance could make him susceptible.

Rest up

Infielder Ketel Marte was out of the lineup Saturday due to a banged-up shoulder he suffered on a slide into third base on the previous homestand. Lovullo said Marte is healthy enough to play, “but we’re trying to nurse him through this situation.”

Lovullo said Marte will play on Sunday afternoon.

Marte suffered the injury doing something Lovullo has been trying for more than a year to get his players not to do: slide headfirst.

“It’s just unfortunate that instinctually they go out there and dive headfirst,” Lovullo said “We’ve all been there.”

New role

Right-hander Braden Shipley has been pitching out of the bullpen for Triple-A Reno in recent weeks, and while Hazen said the club isn’t ruling out a return to the rotation, there’s a sense Shipley might have a better chance to make an impact in the majors as a reliever.

“With where we’re at, with Shelby (Miller) and Robbie (Ray) coming back, I think you’ll probably see him in the bullpen, at least here in the short term,” Hazen said. “See what we’ve got with him in the pen. We’ve talked about it with him. We’re trying to increase his options to impact this team.”