Pollock ‘hit every checkpoint’ in rehab

With every update on A.J. Pollock’s return from elbow surgery, social media seemed to light up with concerns about his progress. Why, the thinking went, would the Diamondbacks rush their star back on the field at the tail end of a lost season?

Pollock thinks he knows why those concerns exist, but he stressed on Friday afternoon, hours before his season debut, that they were unfounded.

“We’ve got a lot of really smart people, who are probably a little smarter than the guys on Twitter, that are making calls on this thing, and if they say I’m ready to go …” Pollock said. “I know how things feel and I know how we’ve hit every checkpoint. It’s ready.”

Pollock, who had a plate and screws surgically inserted into his fractured elbow in April, said waiting until next year wouldn’t make him feel any better physically than he does today.

“I think it kind of freaked everyone out when they said (he would miss the) full season, and here I am with one month left and I’m going to play,” Pollock said. “I just kind of ignored everyone saying I was out for the whole year. In my head, that was never even an option.”

Pollock breezed through his rehab assignment, tearing up three levels of the minors over the past three weeks. Between rookie ball, High-A and Double-A, Pollock went 17 for 40 (.425) with five doubles, three homers, two steals, seven walks and only two strikeouts.

“I’m really not even thinking about my elbow, which is incredible,” he said. “I feel great. I feel like it never happened.”

Pollock said that the smoothness of his rehab was frustrating in a sense that it made him want to move faster than the doctors and trainers would allow. But he praised them multiple times for their help during the process.

“We had to make sure and be overly cautious on some things,” he said. “As a player, that’s the frustrating part. You understand where everyone is coming from.”

Strong showing

Manager Chip Hale said he was impressed by the play of outfielder Mitch Haniger, who was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Thursday night to make room for Pollock.

Hale said Haniger was a heady player who took good at-bats, showed solid bat speed and played the outfield well.

“He was the classic winning ballplayer, I guess you’d say, that we’re looking for,” Hale said. “Very excited to get him a little bit of time, and then when their season ends, he’ll come back and get more time.”

Haniger was 9 for 38 (.237) with two doubles, a triple and four walks in 10 games.