Arizona Diamondbacks: 5 Players to Watch 8/3-8/9

May 24, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale (3) warms up infielders prior to the game against the Chicago Cubs at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks enter the first week in the dog days of August in pretty good shape. Now, 50-53 is a mark that doesn’t look too pretty but considering the D’backs were 44-59 after 103 games in 2014 you’d say this record is much more tolerable. In addition, at this time last year Paul Goldschmidt was already lost for the remainder of the season and A.J. Pollock was still a month away from returning to the team. With their two best players healthy and having tremendous years, that indicates that the rest of 2015 should be fun. Add to the mix that perhaps we are a month closer to seeing Aaron Blair make his Major League debut and this August promises to be anything but a dog.

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The beginning of the week has the Snakes wrapping their longest road trip of the season with a visit to Washington to play the NL East-leading but slumping Nationals. The week ends with a home series against the Cincinnati Reds and Aroldis Chapman, whom Arizona tried very hard to acquire at the trading deadline. As my colleague Guillermo Salcido wrote, the patience of the D’backs fans will be worth the reward. Here are the five players to watch this week as the month of August begins to heat up.

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