P Jorge De La Rosa signing paying off

The Diamondbacks took a flyer on left-hander Jorge De La Rosa in the offseason, signing the veteran to a minor league contract with the idea of converting the long-time starter to a reliever.

Arizona wasn’t sure how De La Rosa would adjust to the new role. Could he get ready in a hurry? How would his arm and body react to having to pitch on consecutive days if necessary? Could he be more than a lefty specialist in the pen?

Just 19 games into the season, De La Rosa has pushed those questions to the side. His 1 2/3 innings of hitless work against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday was instrumental in Arizona’s 11-5 win and a continuation of what he’s done all season.

In nine relief appearances, De La Rosa is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA. He’s been scored on in just two of his nine outings.

“We felt comfortable with him knowing his track record that he was going to be able to compete and his stuff could potentially spike up because he was now in a relief role,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “Did we expect it to pick up as much as it has? Not necessarily, but it hasn’t surprised us.”

From 2007 through 2016, De La Rosa pitched in 235 games, 223 of those starts. He started 24 games for Colorado last year and had a 5.51 ERA. At the age of 35, his career hung in the balance. But with spots available in their bullpen, the Diamondbacks reached out and signed De La Rosa.

“He was challenged in spring training before we made any decision on him,” Lovullo said. “We needed to see if he could handle bouncing back and throwing back-to-back days and multiple innings. He answered every question for us.”

Now, Lovullo has so much confidence in De La Rosa he’s not hesitant to use him in high-leverage situations.

“He’s definitely not a lefty specialist,” Lovullo said. “We feel very confident that he can navigate through a lineup that’s full of lefties or righties.”

Building a bond

After Saturday’s win, several of the Diamondbacks hung around in the clubhouse, enjoying a refreshment and each other’s company. It was a scene reminiscent of the days when Luis Gonzalez and Mark Grace would hold court after games.

“To be able just to relax and kind of let your guard down and hang out away from the game is always a good thing,” said reliever Tom Wilhelmsen. “Working the bar (Wilhelmsen was a bartender for years) people would get off work and enjoy each other’s company for a couple of beers. Just the fact we’re hanging out and letting go is a good thing.”

Lovullo is a big fan of the postgame get-together.

“I believe in culture, I believe in camaraderie, I believe in fellowship,” he said. “I believe in the idea of getting to know your brother and learning how to love one another. When you develop that trust and that bond it becomes very powerful.

“I know there’s a very good feeling amongst the guys. They trust one another right now. When you see that type of conversation taking place, the fact they can get to know each other on that depth level is very important to me.”

Rest day

Center fielder A.J. Pollock, left fielder Yasmany Tomas and shortstop Chris Owings were not in the lineup Sunday because Lovullo wanted to find starts for bench players Jeremy Hazelbaker, Daniel Descalso and Nick Ahmed.