Notes: Ketel, MadBum settle into routines

February 18th, 2020

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- sat in front of his locker in the D-backs’ Spring Training clubhouse Tuesday morning preparing his physical tools for the upcoming workout: adjusting his shin guard, putting tape on another piece of equipment.

He did this while also sharpening his mindset for the day.

Marte kept his eyes on an iPad in his locker that played highlights from his dynamic 2019 season.

First, he watched himself on defense. There were sliding catches in the outfield and diving stops in the infield that robbed batters of hits.

Then came the at-bats -- key hits in games and some of his 32 home runs.

It’s something Marte said he did before every regular season game last year. He said it not only gave him confidence, but also served as a reminder of his mechanics at the plate.

Bradley hearing
D-backs closer was not in camp Tuesday because his salary-arbitration hearing was scheduled for the afternoon.

Bradley, who made $1.83 million last year, is seeking $4.1 million, while the D-backs have countered at $3.625 million.

“We know it’s a big day for him and we just wanted to make sure he was around the people he needed to be around in preparation for the hearing,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “I just told him to take the day off completely and throw your bullpen [Wednesday].”

I got it
One day after installing their bunt plays, the D-backs went through pop-up priority drills as part of Tuesday’s practice.

“Just getting some coordinates and get used to some voices and become familiar with the commands,” Lovullo said.

Day 2 of live BP
Most pitchers have faced hitters in live batting practice sessions already, with the exception of , and Bradley.

Bumgarner will face hitters soon. He threw an additional bullpen session rather than face hitters, which is a routine he’s followed throughout his career.

Bradley will face hitters when he returns to camp, while Leake will have to wait until his fractured left wrist heals.

Let’s talk
When Zack Greinke was with the D-backs, he usually was matched up with one catcher at his request. For two seasons that was Jeff Mathis, and last year Carson Kelly took over such duties.

Lovullo said he’s open to doing that with Bumgarner, if that’s something the veteran left-hander would prefer.

“I haven’t had those conversations yet,” Lovullo said. “I just want him to get his feet on the ground and get comfortable with going to Point A to Point B. At some point in the next several days and weeks I’m going to have a lot of conversation[s] with him. I’ve got to get to know him and I want him to get to know me. I want him to be as comfortable as possible. We believe in that. We talked about that with Zack Greinke a couple of years ago and it became pretty exclusive with Jeff Mathis and it worked. I want to do whatever works best for Madison to be as comfortable as possible, so I’ll have those discussions with him.”