Arizona Diamondbacks News

Esteban Loaiza and Eric Milton are struggling to stay healthy at the end of spring training. NL batting champion Freddy Sanchez hasn’t fully recovered from his knee injury, so he’s headed to the disabled list. Loaiza was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday for the second time in three days, and the Oakland Athletics’ [...]

Last summer, Stephen Drew replaced Craig Counsell as the Arizona Diamondbacks’ shortstop. Now Drew has replaced him as the team’s leadoff hitter. Answering one of the club’s main spring training questions, manager Bob Melvin picked Drew as his leadoff man before the Diamondbacks’ 12-8 victory over San Diego on Saturday in their spring training finale.

The Arizona Diamondbacks placed pitcher Randy Johnson and outfielders Carlos Quentin and Jeff DaVanon on the 15-day disabled list Saturday. Quentin, who has a shoulder injury, was backdated to March 23. He could be available April 7. Johnson, who is returning from offseason back surgery, is scheduled to make three minor league starts before joining [...]

Barry Zito thought about the San Francisco Giants’ chances and was pretty pleased. Payroll no longer is supreme when it comes to World Series titles. “In 2002, the wild card won. In ‘03 the wild card won. And in ‘04, Boston was the wild card and won,” he said. “That’s what’s great about baseball.” [...]

Chris Young is feeling better about himself. The San Diego Padres’ No. 2 starter is healthy, comfortable and not feeling discouraged as the team prepares for Tuesday’s opener at San Francisco. And that’s after he allowed five unearned runs on three walks and four hits in 2 2-3 innings of a 14-8 loss to the [...]

Washington Nationals rookie Matt Chico’s path to the major leagues began with a tryout in an alley behind a warehouse. Well, actually, Chico’s roundabout route to Washington’s starting rotation this season started long before his ad-hoc audition about a month before the 2003 amateur draft for Mike Rizzo, then the Arizona Diamondbacks’ scouting director.

To get inside players’ heads, check these Q&A’s from players on teams in the National League West. For more 2007 preview info, get this week’s Sporting News.

The Big Unit took a big step Thursday night. Five months after back surgery, Randy Johnson struck out five in three shutout innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks lost to the San Diego Padres 5-3. Johnson gave up two hits in his second start of the spring and his first against major leaguers. “There’s a world [...]

The Arizona Diamondbacks optioned right-hander Enrique Gonzalez and lefty Dana Eveland to their minor league camp on Thursday. Gonzalez and Eveland had been competing to be the Diamondbacks’ fifth starter, but each was roughed up in his last spring training outing. Gonzalez had a 6.52 ERA in five games, and Eveland had an 8.25 ERA [...]

Kenny Rogers and Eric Gagne will start the season on the disabled list, while Freddy Sanchez and Jim Edmonds might be ready soon. But the most intriguing person on the field at spring training Thursday has no shot at being in the big leagues next week — she’ll be making close calls in the [...]