GOODYEAR — Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Jordan Montgomery made his Cactus League debut Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds, and while the most important element was he felt healthy, he was disappointed by his output.
Montgomery threw 28 pitches but only 11 strikes, and he was charged with five earned runs while recording one out. He hit Jake Fraley with a pitch to lead off his lone inning, allowed a home run to Christian Encarnacion-Strand and walked the next two batters.
The veteran signed with the Diamondbacks after spring training ended last season, and a finger strain slowed his progress in camp this time. So when he had the opportunity to face another team for the first time since September, he could feel himself overdoing it.
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“Just super rushed and tense and trying to muscle everything, so I just gotta take a chill pill and relax,” Montgomery said after a 9-8 loss.
“Just trying to make it happen too quick, not breaking my hands, getting out front and yanking everything. … Trying to throw hard and feel your head going. Just so excited to get out there. Definitely disappointed, but just get back to the drawing board tomorrow with (pitching coach Brian Kaplan).”
Montgomery’s last in-game appearance was back on Sept. 22. He went into the offseason motivated to put a damper 2024 campaign (6.23 ERA) behind him, losing 20-25 pounds to feel more fluid with his movements.
“Showed up feeling good, got hurt, took six days off, kind of lost some of the good feels, but I’ve been doing it a long time,” Montgomery said. “I just got to relax and trust it.”
Jordan Montgomery came out of his Cactus League debut healthy, but he said he was trying to do too much too quickly. pic.twitter.com/trMN65jJ78
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) March 8, 2025
Bench coach Jeff Banister, who managed the club in Goodyear with Torey Lovullo in Las Vegas (split-squad), said he does not try to over-evaluate someone’s first outing.
“I think more than anything else, it was just where he’s at first time out and I believe that the second time out has as an opportunity to be a feel good for him,” Banister said.
Zac Gallen making progress
Right-hander Zac Gallen made his third start of the spring and threw 52 pitches with three up-downs (recorded six outs as he exited and reentered the game). He walked three hitters to balloon his pitch count but also struck out a trio, including Reds star Elly De La Cruz with a wicked curveball.
“I think in the first inning, my delivery felt really good. I think as a whole, it felt pretty good,” Gallen said.
“Obviously, we’re getting into the territory of the endurance part of it. … I feel like the second and third inning obviously wasn’t as sharp, but I felt like I made some strides in the right direction of becoming a little bit more familiar, a little more natural. So I’m encouraged by the first inning and then obviously second inning and third inning we’re working on different sequences, different feels out of my hand.”
Gallen was encouraged by some of the whiffs he drew on the curveball, noting about 80% of the shapes were consistent. He induced four whiffs on six swings with the curveball.
Eugenio Suarez hits a grand slam
In terms of the offense, third baseman Eugenio Suarez continues to get ahold of pitches, as he roped a grand slam 111.7 mph off the bat. He has driven in 13 runs with a .944 OPS in 10 spring games, for what it is worth, continuing to slug after a monster second half and winter ball performance in Venezuela.
Eugenio Suarez – Arizona Diamondbacks (2)* pic.twitter.com/leaLXVSW1S
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) March 8, 2025
Outfielder Corbin Carroll returned to the lineup and went 2-for-3 after missing a couple games with back tightness. He’s hitting .533 this spring.
The D-backs also saw some sharply-hit balls from prospects, as infielder Tommy Troy just missed a home run to center field and outfielder Jack Hurley went the other way for a 405-footer.
“I mean to be able to do that in one of our games, that sends those guys home with a much different perspective and attitude,” Banister said, explaining he gets much enjoyment out of getting to know the minor leaguers during these games.
Speaking of prospects, the Diamondbacks lost to the Athletics 4-2 in Las Vegas, and one of the runs came on a solo blast by outfielder and 2024 No. 31 pick Ryan Waldschmidt.
109.3 mph | 419 ft
Ryan Waldschmidt, the No. 31 pick in the 2024 Draft, clobbers his first Spring Training roundtripper for the @Dbacks: pic.twitter.com/yOv2Axau83
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 8, 2025
Diamondbacks on Sunday
Arizona will continue its two-game series in Las Vegas with lefty Blake Walston on the mound, while the group remaining in the Valley will be led by starter Corbin Burnes.
Burnes will face the Texas Rangers at Salt River Fields for his fourth start of the spring.
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