PHOENIX -- Torey Lovullo had finished his daily pregame media briefing session, and as the Diamondbacks manager was walking through the batting cages to get onto the field for batting practice, he saw injured outfielder Corbin Carroll taking some swings.
Lovullo had just gotten through explaining that Carroll was supposed to take swings Saturday morning in a live BP session against injured reliever Kendall Graveman, but Carroll had other ideas.
“He was lighting the ball up,” Lovullo said. “He made a couple comments, walked by me, sat with the trainer for a second. He said, ‘Do you mind if I play in the ACL game tonight?’ I'm like, ‘Whoa, whoa. I like that.’ That’s how fast it happened.”
So, Carroll hopped in his car and headed off to play for the Diamondbacks' entry in the Arizona Complex League across town at Salt River Fields.
Carroll got four plate appearances, going 0-for-2 with a pair of walks while playing seven innings in right field.
Carroll has been out since being struck by a pitch in the left hand/wrist area on June 18 in Toronto. An MRI would later show that he had a chip fracture in his hand, and Carroll has been on a mission to try to get back before the All-Star break.
Lovullo said doctors have said that Carroll can’t further injure the hand by playing, it’s a matter of how much pain he has swinging the bat.
“We're not gonna hold Corbin back,” Lovullo said.
This isn’t the first time that Carroll has exceeded expectations in his recovery. The other day, Lovullo expected Carroll to swing a bat but not with a ball being pitched to him. But lo and behold, Carroll was hitting baseballs in the batting cage.
“He's wired that way,” Lovullo said. “He's a coach's dream, and I know he wants to get out there for the team, for the boys, and help us win some baseball games.”
So, the plan is that Carroll will hit off Graveman on Friday morning, but not play in the ACL game that night.
“I’m going to strongly discourage him from playing a doubleheader,” Lovullo said. “But I wouldn't be surprised if Corbin came in my office and said that's what he wants to do. That's his mindset.”
Could Carroll return during the Diamondbacks’ weekend series with the Royals?
“I might be a little surprised, considering what the buildup is going to need to be,” Lovullo said. “But with that kid, anything's possible.”