Young D-backs still have plenty to play for

LOS ANGELES -- With 18 games left, including Wednesday night's game with the Dodgers, the D-backs' chances of making the postseason are all but gone, but that does not mean the games are meaningless.

Players like Tuffy Gosewisch, Wil Nieves, Matt Davidson, Chris Owings and Didi Gregorius are among those players who have a chance to strengthen their chances of making the roster next season.

Nieves and Gosewisch are both candidates to back up catcher Miguel Montero next year, while Owings and Gregorius are still jockeying to be considered the team's shortstop of the future.

Davidson, too, has the chance to show GM Kevin Towers that he could be the power bat the team would like to add in the offseason.

"We start to evaluate more how we're going to move forward," D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said. "So I want to make sure and give all these guys opportunity."