Around NL West Spring Training, 3/18: Colorado Bullpen Feels Rocky

Diamondbacks Wednesday gave a possible look at the club’s Opening Day line-up, with all eight of Arizona’s expected starters opening the game against Anaheim. Manager AJ Hinch looks set to use right-handers Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds at #3 and #5, around lefty Adam LaRoche. Conor Jackson seems likely to occupy the two-hole, but said “Kelly (Johnson) and Stephen (Drew) and CY (Chris Young) could all conceivably hit near the top or the bottom of our lineup.”

Dodgers True Blue LA reports that Rule 5 draft pick Carlos Monasterious has been quietly impressive this spring. He has rolled up eight scoreless innings with just two hits and two walks, making him “a guy who is going to be very hard to give back to the Phillies.” It’s been five seasons since a Rule 5 pick stuck with the Dodgers all year: that was DJ Houlton, but he was on a team which lost more than 90 games.

Giants Despite sitting in the middle of the pack for overall offense this spring – their OPS of .775 ranks 15th – San Francisco’s 97 runs trails only one team in the Cactus League. New hitting coach Hensley Meulens has been offering advice to a number of the Giants’ hitters, such as asking Aaron Rowand to adopt a more upright stance. Catcher Eli Whiteside calls Meulens, “One of the best hitting coaches I’ve ever worked with.”

Padres San Diego continue to run wild in the Cactus League. They stole six bags on Tuesday and five the day before, and have piled up 26 stolen-bases in total, easily the most in spring baseball – only one other team, the Brewers, has more than 18. And with a 79% success-rate, they’re not running themselves out of the game much. Said outfielder Will Venable, “It’s something that we’ve really stressed this spring. We need to be aggressive not only stealing bases, but on the bases in general. Going from first to third, stuff like that.”

Rockies The Colorado bullpen is in flux, according to Purple Row, with closer Huston Street’s MRI yesterday just one of a bevy of issues. “It’s time to consider a lost season from [Street] as a strong possibility, if not the most likely outcome at this point,” says our Rockies’ correspondent – a prospect which would certainly hurt their 2010 chances. Franklin Morales is the most likely internal candidate for the closer’s role.