Streaky Week for the Arizona Diamondbacks

(Courtesy of ESPN.com)

By Ian Brophy

This past week saw the Arizona Diamondbacks tie their longest losing streak of the spring schedule and respond with their longest winning streak. The Diamondbacks started the week with a four game losing streak but turned it around on Thursday with a 12-2 thumping of the Chicago Cubs. The Diamondbacks extended the win streak to four with wins on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before losing their second game on Sunday to the Oakland Athletics.

Notes:

• New addition Trevor Cahill, right-handed pitcher, lost a game Tuesday to the LA Angels and Sunday to his former team the Oakland Athletics. This puts his spring record at 0-3 with a 7.88 ERA in eight innings pitched. His loss to the Angels also marked former Dbacks pitcher, Dan Haren’s second win this spring for the Angels.

• Former outfielder Jason Lane entered Diamondbacks spring training as a pitcher but on Thursday was sent down to the minor league camp. Lane had one inning pitched, walking two hitters and allowing one earned run off of one hit. “Today I
  

  Jason Lane (Courtesy of ESPN.com)

  had to deal with the hardest part of the game,” Lane wrote on his Facebook page. “I was called into the manager’s office and told I was being sent down to the minor leagues. It’s a feeling you never get used to and it is very hard to walk out of a major clubhouse with your head high and confident that you can play at that level and to know in your heart that you will be back. It is the only option though! FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME.”

• Jim Bowden tweeted Friday that the Diamondbacks are discussing the possibility of moving Josh Collmenter to the bullpen. This move would open up a spot in the starting rotation. The spot would probably be filled by 21 year-old Trevor Bauer. Bauer has a 3.60 ERA in five innings pitched with five strikeouts and only one walk. Collmenter has been far less impressive with a 13.50 ERA through four innings pitched.

• Diamondbacks starting shortstop Stephen Drewhas not played a Cactus League game yet and is expected to miss opening day with an injured ankle. Last season Drew injured his ankle when his cleat caught the dirt and his foot bent awkwardly
  

  Stephen Drew (AP Photo/Matt York)

  on a slide into home. The Diamondbacks currently have John Mcdonald, Willie Bloomquist, and Geoff Blum to replace the injured Drew. However, the Diamondbacks may be looking for a more permanent fix for a 29 year-old shortstop recovering from a bad lower leg injury. The team has depth at pitching that it can use in a trade for a longterm solution like Ian Desmond of the Washington Nationals or Cliff Pennington of the Athletics. At the end of the season the Diamondbacks will also have a $10 million option with a $1.35 million buyout on Drew for next season.

• Diamondbacks left-handed pitcher Joe Saunders left a game in the first inning on Monday after being hit in the left shin by a line drive that came off the bat of Cleveland’s Carlos Santana. However, Saunders said he does not expect to miss any time after the ball struck him in the side of the shin.

• The Washington Nationals may be looking to acquire Gerardo Parrafrom the Diamondbacks. Danny Knobler tweeted that the Dbacks’ asking price is high but the nationals have plenty of young
  

  Gerardo Parra (Courtesy Phoenix New Times)

  talent to offer including Ian Desmond and Jeff Lombardozzi, which could be longterm solutions for the Diamondbacks at shortstop. Parra is 24 years-old and had a .292 average last season with 15 stolen bases. Parra was also regarded as a top defensive outfielder last season but has found himself as the Diamondbacks fourth choice outfielder behind Chris Young, Justin Upton, and the newly signed Jason Kubel.