Hale: No timetable set to bring Salty to bigs

PHOENIX -- D-backs manager Chip Hale was not ready to commit to a timetable for when, or if, the club would call up veteran catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia from Triple-A Reno.

Saltalamacchia, 30, signed a Minor League deal with the D-backs on Thursday and is set to join Reno to get some at-bats after being out of action since April 23. He was designated for assignment and eventually released by the Marlins with two years left on his contract.

The D-backs opened the season with Tuffy Gosewisch as the starting catcher with veteran Gerald Laird as the backup and Jordan Pacheco as a third catcher/utility player. Laird injured his back in the first week of the season and it's been Gosewisch and Pacheco handling the duties since.

"It's hard. I've got this group in here and we're focused on winning tonight and this series," Hale said. "So I can't say he's going to get so many at-bats and then he'll be here. We'll have to assess what we have and what's going to make us better."

D-backs catchers have combined to hit .219 with an on-base plus slugging of .526 entering Thursday's game, and Hale acknowledged that the team needs more offense from that spot, especially if the production at shortstop and second base continues to be below average.

That was kind of our original plan -- we didn't need a whole lot of offense out of that position, but we need the other guys to contribute," Hale said.

The additional competition will not impact Gosewisch's approach, just as being the starter did not cause him to work any less.

"I've come to the park the same way for 10 years," he said. "I'm not going to change now."