Cintron available in emergency
CHICAGO -- Alex Cintron was available in an emergency Wednesday, but Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin was hoping to give his infielder one more day of rest.
Cintron injured his left wrist while checking his swing Saturday and has not played since. He took batting practice Tuesday and again Wednesday, and said he feels it more when swinging lefty than he does righty.
"I'd like to not have to use him [Wednesday], so I could get him through the off-day and then I think he'd probably be ready to even start a game," Melvin said.
Cintron may start at third Friday against Indians left-hander Cliff Lee. That would allow Melvin to use regular third baseman Troy Glaus as a designated hitter and put Tony Clark at first, with left-handed hitter Chad Tracy getting a day off.
Good first step: Injured reliever Oscar Villarreal threw off the mound for the first time since being placed on the disabled list April 11 with a rotator cuff strain.
Villarreal threw 13 pitches -- fastballs and changeups -- and may throw off the mound again Friday.
Meanwhile injured closer Brandon Lyon played catch for the third straight day.
Working out the kinks: Left-hander Brad Halsey, who will start for the D-Backs on Friday in Cleveland spent his side session Wednesday adjusting his mechanics.
One of the team's most reliable starters this year, Halsey has allowed six runs over six innings in each of his last two starts.
"He's just got some balls up and he wasn't getting over his front side," Melvin said. "Just kind of staying back and throwing uphill as opposed to getting over his front side and throwing downhill."
Put me in coach: After a tough weekend, the Arizona bullpen has had almost two days of total rest, thanks to Shawn Estes' complete game Monday and Javier Vazquez's eight-inning effort Tuesday.
"I think it's good because guys are champing at the bit now," Melvin said. "Sometimes, when things are going bad, you get a shellshocked effect sometimes, and now these guys are champing at the bit to get in there."
Melvin said his bullpen deserves more credit than it's gotten lately and pointed out that it is tied for second in the NL in saves.
"There have been times during the season where they've picked us up," he said.
No changes: Despite Thursday's off-day, the Diamondbacks will not skip a starter and will instead give everyone in the rotation an extra day between starts, as they have all year.
The Diamondbacks have kept their five-man rotation in order all year with the exception of the first week of the season and when a doubleheader forced them to give Claudio Vargas a spot start.
"It keeps guys rested over the course of a season," Melvin said. "It allows you, at times, if you feel you have bullpen issues, to go a little longer with your starters."
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
Cintron injured his left wrist while checking his swing Saturday and has not played since. He took batting practice Tuesday and again Wednesday, and said he feels it more when swinging lefty than he does righty.
"I'd like to not have to use him [Wednesday], so I could get him through the off-day and then I think he'd probably be ready to even start a game," Melvin said.
Cintron may start at third Friday against Indians left-hander Cliff Lee. That would allow Melvin to use regular third baseman Troy Glaus as a designated hitter and put Tony Clark at first, with left-handed hitter Chad Tracy getting a day off.
Good first step: Injured reliever Oscar Villarreal threw off the mound for the first time since being placed on the disabled list April 11 with a rotator cuff strain.
Villarreal threw 13 pitches -- fastballs and changeups -- and may throw off the mound again Friday.
Meanwhile injured closer Brandon Lyon played catch for the third straight day.
Working out the kinks: Left-hander Brad Halsey, who will start for the D-Backs on Friday in Cleveland spent his side session Wednesday adjusting his mechanics.
One of the team's most reliable starters this year, Halsey has allowed six runs over six innings in each of his last two starts.
"He's just got some balls up and he wasn't getting over his front side," Melvin said. "Just kind of staying back and throwing uphill as opposed to getting over his front side and throwing downhill."
Put me in coach: After a tough weekend, the Arizona bullpen has had almost two days of total rest, thanks to Shawn Estes' complete game Monday and Javier Vazquez's eight-inning effort Tuesday.
"I think it's good because guys are champing at the bit now," Melvin said. "Sometimes, when things are going bad, you get a shellshocked effect sometimes, and now these guys are champing at the bit to get in there."
Melvin said his bullpen deserves more credit than it's gotten lately and pointed out that it is tied for second in the NL in saves.
"There have been times during the season where they've picked us up," he said.
No changes: Despite Thursday's off-day, the Diamondbacks will not skip a starter and will instead give everyone in the rotation an extra day between starts, as they have all year.
The Diamondbacks have kept their five-man rotation in order all year with the exception of the first week of the season and when a doubleheader forced them to give Claudio Vargas a spot start.
"It keeps guys rested over the course of a season," Melvin said. "It allows you, at times, if you feel you have bullpen issues, to go a little longer with your starters."
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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