TORONTO -- Adam Jones was available off the bench for the D-backs in Friday’s 8-2 win at Rogers Centre, but manager Torey Lovullo chose to allow the veteran outfielder to rest his hamstring.
Jones left Tuesday’s game with right hamstring tightness, but the D-backs feel that he can return to the lineup without needing a stint on the injured list.
“We don’t think it’s going to require the full 10 days that the injured list would give him,” Lovullo said prior to Friday’s game. “We think he’s going to be day to day and just filling in a lot of health gaps and getting the treatment that he needs.”
The 33-year-old Jones has enjoyed a very strong start to the 2019 season, hitting .276 with an .821 OPS and 12 home runs through his first 59 games. Tim Locastro got the start on Friday in right field with Jones sitting it out.
The Interleague series offers Lovullo the flexibility of having a designated hitter, which opened up some room for the power-hitting Kevin Cron, who hit his first Major League home run in the fourth inning off Marcus Stroman. Cron put up 21 home runs in just 44 games at Triple-A Reno, but had mostly been used in pinch-hit scenarios with Arizona.
“[Cron] can just tough the ball, and he can hit it to Mississauga,” said Lovullo before the game, referencing the city that borders Toronto. “I know that he’s got that power, but he’s a very, very good hitter. I want him to continue being that good hitter by setting up the pitchers, doing his job and getting on base.”
Lamb set to begin rehab
Jake Lamb will join Triple-A Reno today and see game action on Saturday as he works his way back from a left quad strain.
The D-backs plan to have Lamb play five innings at first base on Saturday to get some at-bats, which is the first step of their rehab plan.
“We have a mapped-out progression that’s going to get him some reps at third and at first, some reps at DH,” Lovullo said. “He’s got a little bit of time he needs to catch up with.”
A homecoming of sorts for Lovullo
There were plenty of familiar faces for Lovullo on Friday at Rogers Centre, where he served as the Blue Jays’ first-base coach in 2011 and ’12.
“I really enjoyed the couple of years that I was here,” Lovullo said. “I met some very good people, some good friends. This is a tremendous city, an international city. I know that the years were a little bit lean, but I think the foundation was built for some of the things they did later in 2015 and 2016.”
Assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske played five seasons (2002-’06) with the Blue Jays while first-base coach Dave McKay was with the Blue Jays from their inaugural season in 1977 to ’79. Hitting coach Darnell Coles also played two seasons (1993-’94) with the Blue Jays.