Kennedy is excited, saddened by trade

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Right-hander Ian Kennedy sounded like he had mixed emotions on Wednesday. He also sounded like he hadn’t fully comprehended the fact that he’d just been traded to the San Diego Padres.

“I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” Kennedy said. “Part of me is excited for going back to California and playing in San Diego. But I know that this team was special here, too.”

Kennedy hadn’t even heard of the possibility of a trade until just a few hours before his start on Tuesday night, a game that turned out to be his last with the Diamondbacks. He was sent to the Padres Wednesday afternoon in exchange for a package that included lefty reliever Joe Thatcher.

A native of Orange County in Southern California, Kennedy said he grew up watching Padres games on television. And while he was excited to be closer to his childhood home, he said he’ll continue to live in Arizona during the off-seasons.

Oddly enough, his first start with the Padres could come against his only other former team, the New York Yankees, on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park.

“It’ll kind of come full circle,” Kennedy said. “I haven’t pitched against the Yankees yet, so it will happen as a Padre.”

Kennedy called Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers “really classy” for telling him about the trade face to face in Tampa instead of over the phone.

Still out

Catcher Miguel Montero was on the bench again as he continued to deal with back stiffness, and manager Kirk Gibson said the club was holding him out in hopes of avoiding a trip to the disabled list.

Montero missed four games with back trouble last week but returned to the lineup on Saturday and Sunday. He apparently tweaked his back again on Sunday.

“It’s still tight,” he said. “It’s still not a comfortable feeling. Obviously, I want to play, but I don’t want to risk it and go out and play today and then have to sit again for four or five days. We’re going to stick with the plan to kind of stay away until I feel ready. It really doesn’t feel like I’m ready.”

Montero said they’ve talked about the possibility of an epidural injection, but he said that would keep him out of the lineup for five or six days and thus is being viewed as a last resort.

Rotation adjustment

With Kennedy gone, the Diamondbacks were going to have to make a move to address their starting rotation sometime in the next four days, and they chose to do something sooner than later.

Towers said right-hander Zeke Spruill likely would be recalled from Triple-A Reno to start tonight against the Rangers in Texas.

The club would then push Randall Delgado to Friday, with right-hander Brandon McCarthy — originally scheduled to pitch Friday — instead going Sunday, allowing the Diamondbacks to split up lefthanders Pat Corbin and Wade Miley.

Spruill tossed eight shutout innings in his most recent minor-league start on Saturday.