D-backs tap Barrett, Drury, Bracho for final roster spots
After injuries in the final week of spring training opened the a couple extra roster spots, Brandon Drury, Jake Barrett and Silvino Bracho on Sunday learned they made the Diamondbacks' 25-man roster for opening day.
One spot was open in the bullpen when camp started. That became two when Josh Collmenter developed tightness in his pitching shoulder. Bracho and local product Barrett were those spots.
Drury, manager Chip Hale said, likely would not have made the team had A.J. Pollock not fractured his right elbow on Friday.
Pollock and Collmenter were place on the disabled list -- Collmenter retroactively to March 28 -- in the team's final series of moves.
Outfielders Socrates Brito and Rickie Weeks Jr. also secured roster spots.
Reliever Evan Marshall and Enrique Burgos and outfielder Peter O'Brien were optioned to Triple-A Reno. Outfielder Jason Bourgeois was transfered to minor league camp.
"There wasn't a whole lot of difference between all of them," Hale said. "We could have put their names in a hat and picked it out, but this is just the way we want to start."
Brito likely will get most of the starts in center field in Pollock's stead, while Weeks will provided a potent bat off the bench. Hale will be challenged to get Drury enough at-bats, in both the infield and outfield.
"Yeah, it's going to be tough," Hale said. "We talked about that, and it's going to be my job to get him in there, get him in games and get him his at-bats. If we don't, we're hurting his development, and we know that. We really, truly think he deserves to make this team. He kind of busted the door down. I've got to be creative. Third, second, left, right. We'll see."
Barrett will become the first player to play high school baseball in the Valley, at Arizona State, be drafted by the D-backs and play for the D-backs at the major league level.
"I can't stop thinking about this right now," Barrett said shortly after he was told he'd made the team. "There was so many other good bullpen guys out there, so I really had to lock in more."
