A.J. Pollock could be playing every day somewhere else. Image: Jennifer Hilderbrand-USA TODAY Sports Images

Pressed into a starting role because of injuries in Spring Training to Adam Eaton and Cody Ross, Pollock started the year with a bang going 3 for 4 in the season’s first game.  After that came an 0 for 13 stretch before a 3 for 5 performance on April 10th.  For the year, Pollock is batting .264  but with a paltry on base percentage of .290.  He does have 18 doubles, good for fourth in the National League.  While not great numbers, they aren’t terrible and on a lesser team he might be playing every day.  Nevertheless, if and when Eaton comes back, the D’backs have to figure out what to do with a crowded outfield.  Pollock has proven there is nothing left for him at Triple A and deserves to stay with the big club.  He could be used as trade bait around the deadline.  But will the D’backs have any needs?  One would think that with so many players injured, their projected returns (think Aaron Hill and Daniel Hudson) will be better than a trade as the team won’t have to surrender anyone.  That is a topic for a different day.

With the team in first place, I’d rather not speculate about what the team might do this coming offseason.  Maybe Pollock goes to a team where he can play every day.   I hope the D’backs hold onto him for the remainder of the season because as proven last night, he at least has value as a guy coming off the bench.  When a team is winning, this is what you call a good problem.

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Gerardo Parra is congratulated by Aaron Hill after scoring in the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during opening day at Chase Field. Image: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Here is an easy question to answer.  Isn’t it great to have baseball back?  

The Arizona Diamondbacks continued their success on Opening Day by thumping the St. Louis Cardinals by a score of 6-2.  The victory marked the seventh straight triumph in Game One affairs, tied for the longest such streak in baseball with the Seattle Mariners.  Here are some thoughts I had while watching the game last night and reliving the highlights this morning.

-Gerardo Parra and A.J. Pollock mean business.  So what if two-thirds of a starting outfield begin the season on the Disabled List?  Parra was the hitting star last night going 4-5 with three doubles and a run scored batting leadoff and starting in right field.  His one out was a bullet lined off the arm of Cards’ pitcher Adam Wainwright.  Pollock, the former first-round pick had a banner day at the plate as well going 3 for 4 with two RBI’s while playing center field and hitting in the seventh spot in the order.  His speed was on display in the second inning as he legged out an infield hit on a ball chopped in the infield between third and short.  These two guys will make things very interesting for manager Kirk Gibson once Cody Ross and Adam Eaton return from the DL.

-Ian Kennedy looked great.  He was overshadowed by Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez and Jeff Samardzija on Monday.  However, Kennedy’s performance later that night was brilliant.  He gave up single runs in the first and seventh innings and was totally dominant in between, allowing only one baserunner (a Pete Kozma walk) from innings two through six.  Kennedy’s line was seven innings pitched, allowing two earned runs one five hits, walking one and striking out eight.   The win made was the third straight for the right-hander on Opening Day assignments.

-Brandon Webb looked bummed.  The former Cy Young award winner threw out the ceremonial first pitch before last night’s game.  Later, he was interviewed by FOX Sports’s Todd Walsh and was asked about how it felt to be back on the mound.  You can tell that he really misses playing; his career was essentially cut short at the tender age of 30.  Now, a month from his 34th birthday, he should have been at Chase Field throwing out the real first pitch last night.

Looking forward to Game number 2 tonight.

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March 6, 2013; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Adam Eaton (6) at bat in the sixth inning during a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks were depending on Adam Eaton to be their starting center fielder on opening day and be the Diamondbacks lead off hitter. They had also hoped that Eaton would be a spark plug to get the offense going. Those hopes and dreams are all but gone when an MRI on Eaton’s showed he has a grade one sprain on his left elbow, which will sideline him for at least six weeks. Eaton believed the pain would go away, and when this did not happen the team became concerned and scheduled the MRI. The injury for Eaton occurred when he felt some discomfort about two weeks ago when the Diamondbacks were working on getting the ball out quicker from the outfield.

The Diamondbacks have the depth to deal with this setback to the team; they have numerous options that they can use until Eaton is ready to come back from the injury. They can use Gerardo Parra who has been performing well in the spring so far, Parra also plays the best defense of the options available to the team. Another option is moving Martin Prado from third base and shifting him into right field, if this happens then Eric Chavez would play third base.

The other option available to the Diamondbacks is to give A.J. Pollock a chance to play in center field. Pollock has earned the chance to be a full-time outfielder for the team and now it is his chance to shine to show the team what he is capable of when given an opportunity to play.

The Diamondbacks have the players step in and fill the void that will be left while Eaton recovers from this injury. The good news is that Eaton will not be out that long.