Gallen, Rodriguez and Montgomery change plans after rainout

TEMPE, Ariz. -- As he walked in from right field where the team bus dropped him off, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo noted the dampness of the grass and the tarp covering the infield. He decided then that he would only give his regulars a couple of at-bats before getting them out of the game given the wet, chilly conditions.

By the time he got to the third-base dugout, Lovullo got the word that Friday’s game with the Angels had been canceled. The rain had stopped by that point, but more was expected later in the afternoon.

The D-backs had hoped to get Zac Gallen through three innings on Friday, but they had been preparing for this possibility for the past several days when the weather forecast looked questionable.

Gallen will now be pushed to Saturday, when he will pitch against the Reds in Goodyear. Eduardo Rodriguez, who had been scheduled for his second Cactus League start on Saturday, will instead pitch in a back-field game at Salt River Fields.

Jordan Montgomery, who was scheduled to start Saturday in his spring debut, will follow Gallen on the mound at Salt River Fields.

“The rain will force us to be adaptable,” Lovullo said. “It’s not a four-alarm fire at this point, but as we get a little closer to the end of the spring, we want to keep everything in line."

The D-backs had a split squad on Thursday and will have another split squad on both Saturday and Sunday, with half of the team playing the A’s in Las Vegas and the other half playing the Reds and Rangers in Arizona, which will help alleviate any issues with pitchers getting their innings in. With Rodriguez pitching in a simulated game, that will ensure he stays on schedule.