Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Back in Sunday's lineup
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Moreno (hand) is starting behind the plate and batting eighth in Sunday's spring game the Brewers.
The 23-year-old has been dealing with a minor hand injury since he was hit by a pitch March 18, but he'll return to the lineup Sunday with spring training in its final stages. Moreno is poised to open the season as Arizona's primary backstop with Carson Kelly sidelined by a fractured forearm. Jose Herrera currently tracks to fill the backup job, though the club may look to add a more veteran option.
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Diamondbacks' Drey Jameson: Opening season in bullpen
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Jameson will begin the 2023 campaign working out of the bullpen after Ryne Nelson was named Arizona's No. 5 starter Sunday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Neither pitcher performed particularly well during spring training with ERAs above 7.00, but it'll be Nelson that receives the first crack at the rotation in 2023. Jameson was lights out in his first taste of the majors last year with a 1.48 ERA and 24:7 K:BB across 24.1 innings (four starts).
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Earns rotation spot
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Nelson was named the Diamondbacks' No. 5 starter Sunday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
The 25-year-old surrendered 12 runs with a 13:8 K:BB across 14.1 innings during spring training but still won the rotation spot over Drey Jameson. Nelson was impressive in his first taste of the big leagues last season with a 1.47 ERA, 0.82 WHIP in 18.1 frames and clearly has upside, but he could be a risky bet for fantasy managers requiring immediate production.
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Diamondbacks' Kyle Lewis: On track for roster spot
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Lewis appears to have secured a spot on Arizona's Opening Day roster after Pavin Smith was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Sunday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Lewis put his best foot forward during spring training with three home runs and a .480/.581/.960 slash line in 31 appearances, which seems to have earn him a roster spot. The 27-year-old seems unlikely to have an everyday spot in the lineup but could see regular action against left-handed pitchers.
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Diamondbacks' Phillip Evans: Reassigned to MiLB camp
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Evans was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Evans was signed by the D-Backs to a minor-league deal in December and received an invitation to spring training. The former Met will likely begin the year with Triple-A Reno after failing to secure a roster spot on the Opening Day roster.
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Diamondbacks' Jake Hager: Moved to minor-league camp
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Hager was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Hager was re-signed to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training at the end of January. The infielder will provide some infield depth at Triple-A Reno for the upcoming campaign.
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Diamondbacks' P.J. Higgins: Heading to minor-league camp
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Higgins was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Higgins joined Arizona as a non-roster invitee in January and was unable to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster despite a .913 OPS during spring training. Jose Herrera is poised to begin the season as the backup catcher behind starter Gabriel Moreno, but Higgins could still find himself in the mix at some point with Carson Kelly out with a fractured forearm.
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Diamondbacks' Peter Solomon: Reassigned to minor-league camp
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Solomon was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Solomon was bidding for one of the final spots in the Diamondbacks' bullpen, but his 2023 campaign will instead start with Triple-Reno. The former Houston prospect has a good chance of making appearances for Arizona before the end of the 2023 season, but the D-Backs will have to add him to the 40-man roster in order for that to take place.
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Diamondbacks' Emmanuel Rivera: Sent to Triple-A
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Rivera was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Sunday.
Rivera was acquired by Arizona at the trade deadline last season and had a .227/.304/.424 slash line with six home runs in 39 games, but he won't begin the 2023 campaign in the majors. The 26-year-old should be one of the top candidates for a call-up if the Diamondbacks require depth in the corner infield.
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Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Optioned to Reno
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Smith was optioned to Triple-A Reno by the Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Smith was sidelined for a large portion of the Cactus League due to back spasms, and it's possible that played a factor in the demotion. The 2017 first-round pick registered a .778 OPS in 27 plate appearances before being sent down. Smith will likely be an up-and-down option for Arizona in the 2023 campaign.
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Diamondbacks' Ryan Hendrix: Finishing strong spring
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Hendrix struck out the side in the fourth inning of Saturday's spring game against Seattle.
Hendrix made his fifth consecutive scoreless appearance, including fanning the side in his last two. "He's done a good job attacking the zone," manager Torey Lovullo told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. "It's a three-pitch mix. It's one of those situations where you want to continue giving him opportunities so we can evaluate him. He had a great day today." Hendrix is in the mix for one of the bullpen jobs still up for grabs. The right-hander, who mixes a mid-90s fastball with a slider and changeup, has walked two and struck out 14 over eight Cactus League innings.
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Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel: Starting at first Sunday
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Gurriel will start at first base in a minor-league game Sunday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo recently stated that Gurriel would get exposure to first base in the final days of spring training, which signals he may be the team's backup at the position.
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Diamondbacks' Peter Solomon: Bidding for bullpen spot
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Solomon allowed one hit and two walks while striking out two over 2.2 scoreless innings in Saturday's spring start against the Mariners.
This was Solomon's first Cactus League appearance since March 10, as the right-hander has been victimized by rainouts and a logjam of starters needing work. He's pitched plenty on the back fields while vying for a multi-inning relief role. "There's consistency with the stuff," manager Torey Lovullo told Owen Perkins of MLB.com. "He pitches to spots, pitches to a game plan. I think there's an opportunity to see what he can do in certain situations and give us some length." Solomon was selected in the Rule 5 draft over the winter and could grab a bullpen spot. The decision appears to hinge on whether Lovullo is comfortable moving whichever young starter -- Drey Jameson or Ryne Nelson -- loses out on the No. 5 job to relief.
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Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte: Back in action
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Marte (illness) will lead off and play second base in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Mariners.
Marte had been scratched due to illness Thursday but is ready for game action two days later. He's gone 4-for-19 at the plate in spring training, plus an additional 2-for-8 at the World Baseball Classic.
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Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Plays Friday
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McCarthy (illness) started in right field and went 1-for-3 with two RBI in Friday's spring game against the Reds.
McCarthy returned to action after missing nearly a week with an illness. He stole his second base of the spring after swiping 23 bags over 99 games in 2022. The 25-year-old will get in some plate appearances in the final days of camp to get his swing timing down.
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Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel: Will play first base
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Gurriel is expected to get playing time at first base in the final days of spring training, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Gurriel has played first base before but not much, with just 16 career games at the position during his time with the Blue Jays. Getting him work at first base is an indicator that Kyle Lewis will win the final bench spot over Pavin Smith, who is the only true first baseman left in camp behind Christian Walker.
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Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: Makes final tuneup
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Gallen allowed five runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three over 5.2 innings in Friday's spring start against the Reds.
This was Gallen's final Cactus League outing before he takes the ball Opening Day against the Dodgers. He gave up two home runs to round out a spring with ugly results: 15 earned runs in 16.1 innings with 10 walks. The right-hander didn't sound concerned when he told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he did "zero" work on game planning for his spring opponents, which isn't unusual. Of note, his fastball was down a couple ticks, from 94.2 mph last season to 92.5 mph Thursday, and it's been down all camp according to Piecoro. Nevertheless, Gallen threw 82 pitches and worked into the sixth inning, so he'll be fully stretched out to begin the regular season.
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Diamondbacks' Kyle Nelson: Optioned to Reno
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The Diamondbacks optioned Nelson to Triple-A Reno on Friday.
Nelson had an outstanding season in 2022, logging a 2.19 ERA and 1.08 WHIP through 37 innings out of the bullpen. Unfortunately, he got hit around a bit more in the spring, giving up four earned runs over 8.2 frames. The 26-year-old southpaw will begin the season in Triple-A, but he figures to be one of the top choices to be called up should Arizona need more bullpen depth.
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Diamondbacks' Luis Frias: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Diamondbacks optioned Frias to Triple-A Reno on Friday.
Frias didn't fare well in the majors last season with a 10.59 ERA and 2.35 WHIP over 17 innings, and his spring wasn't much better. The 24-year-old reliever will need to re-establish himself in the minors before he can return to the D-backs' bullpen.
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Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: Tapped for Opening Day start
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Gallen will start Opening Day versus the Dodgers on Thursday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Gallen will toe the rubber at Chase Field as the Diamondbacks launch their season next week. The right-hander has evolved into Arizona's ace, producing a 2.54 ERA and microscopic 0.91 WHIP with 192 strikeouts over 184 innings in 31 starts with the team in 2022. If Gallen can take another step up in 2023, he'll elevate himself into the Cy Young conversation in the National League.
