Chafin hopes to conserve arm for heavy workload
ANDREW CHAFIN DIAMONDBACKS LEFT-HANDED RELIEVER
Left-hander Andrew Chafin feels good, his shoulder strong, and for this he credits an offseason of what he describes as preventative work. The Diamondbacks reliever is hoping to stay in a preventative mode even when the season begins.
For stretches last season, Chafin was the only left-hander in the Diamondbacks bullpen. That distinction wound up working against him. He was not only used heavily in games, he warmed up in the bullpen on numerous occasions when he didn’t end up pitching.
It eventually caught up with him, both in the way of results and health. Chafin, who was one of the Diamondbacks’ better relievers in 2015, was knocked around last year, posting a 6.75 ERA in 32 games.
He also missed most of the final three months of the season due to shoulder problems.
Chafin knows there’s only so much he can do to prepare for heavy workloads; they often come with the territory of being a reliever.
But he thinks he can be smarter with the way he gets ready in hopes of staying fresh throughout the year.
“Say I get up 100 times to get loose or whatever and I throw 10 less pitches per warmup,” Chafin said. “That’s a thousand throws right there. I think that’s a good thing. We’ve been working on that.”
Chafin said the idea was hatched after discussions with bullpen coach Mike Fetters and pitching coach Mike Butcher, and he hopes it’s something that could even help prolong his career.
Fetters said it was something he eventually learned during his 16-year career, the vast majority of which was spent as a reliever.
“It adds up,” Fetters said. “Your arm only has so many bullets in it. The hope is that once these guys understand once they’re eight pitches away from being ready, they’ve got eight more pitches out there and they’re ready to go.”
Chafin has been sharp so far in spring training, tossing four scoreless innings with no walks, no hits and three strikeouts. He thinks he got into a habit of trying to be too perfect early last season but is trying to go back to being the pitcher he was two years ago.
“I think last year helped me learn more about myself as a pitcher,” he said. “Go out there, rear back, throw as hard as I can and hope for the best.”
Another positive was Chafin’s improved strikeout rate, which jumped from seven-per-nine innings in 2015 to 11.1 last year, something he credits to a more consistent slider.
Chafin has been as consistent as any reliever in camp, but he said he takes nothing for granted in terms of his spot on the roster.
“I came into this spring with the mind-set that I’m fighting to make the team again,” he said. “I’m doing everything I’ve got to do to be ready and be the best I can be, and whatever happens, happens.”
Short hops
Second baseman Brandon Drury has had trouble on at least a couple of balls to his right so far this spring. Manager Torey Lovullo said they were the kind of plays Drury will get better at with more experience. “What it looks like from my angle is he’s having a little bit of an in-between thought whether he’s going to get around the ball or backhand the ball,” Lovullo said. “He’s comfortable making both plays, he’s just caught in-between. (He just needs) game reps.”
Left fielder Yasmany Tomas continues to feel tightness in his lower back. He hasn’t played in three consecutive games and likely will not play Sunday, either.
“I came into this spring with the mind-set that I’m fighting to make the team again.”