Young flexing power stroke with 4 HRs
Andrew Young says there is no secret to hitting four home runs as his first four hits of this season. But he admits to practicing hitting home runs, whether it be off a tee or in batting practice.
“I think there’s something to be said about practicing hitting home runs and hitting home runs,” the Diamondbacks utility player said before Thursday’s game against the Miami Marlins. “I’m not a believer in spraying the ball the other way. So I always try to kind of elevate the ball and it seems to have been working out so far.”
Young, 27, came into just his second start of the season Thursday night 4for-10 with four homers. One was a grand slam on April 15 at Washington, his first time in the lineup. Since 1974, his streak of four hits to begin a season being home runs were just one shy of former Detroit Tigers slugger Rob Deer’s five in 1992.
Both of Young’s pinch-hit homers in his career have come this year, including Wednesday night against Miami.
Young, who in 2018 was part of the trade that sent the St. Louis Cardinals Paul Goldschmidt and brought pitcher Luke Weaver and catcher Carson Kelly to Arizona, said he stands in during a lot of bullpen sessions and hits off a pitching machine, which helps him maintain his timing.
“I think pinch hitting can get hard when you don’t get any at-bats,” he said. He asks the catcher not to inform him of the type of pitch when standing in the batter’s box for a bullpen session, instead guessing if he’d swing at it or not.
Young hopes for a larger role in the big leagues, but is enjoying pinch hitting and doing what’s asked of him. Defensively, he’s played mainly second base in the minor leagues, which was his position on Thursday. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said what stands out about Young is his extra work and pregame work. He said he would like to get Young in lineup for four at-bats in a game and see him on defense.
“I believe in what he’s done and I believe in what he’s ready for,” Lovullo said. “For right now I want to put him in a spot he’s very familiar with and be as fair to him as possible.”
Lovullo said he knows Young, who’s been on the taxi squad and sent down and brought up from Triple-A Reno, thinks he is a big-leaguer and deserves to be a regular player. He has sensed some frustration from Young about that.
He complimented Young for not letting whatever issues he has affect him in a negative way.
“The reality of that is, it just takes a little bit of time. And he’s willing to put that time in, and he’s very committed to this organization as we are to him as well,” Lovullo said.
Short hops
● Lovullo said reliever Taylor Widener pitched a simulated game on Thursday, going 3 1⁄3 innings with 51 pitches and took some pitcher’s fielding practice. Widener’s next step in his return from a groin injury is to throw a bullpen session on Saturday, then head out for a rehab assignment.
● CF Ketel Marte (hamstring strain) took some at-bats on Thursday and felt good, Lovullo said. He’ll play four innings of a simulated game in center field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Friday.