DIAMONDBACKS

Fatigue setting in for Diamondbacks' Brad Ziegler

Nick Piecoro
azcentral sports
Aug 31, 2015: Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Brad Ziegler (29) reacts after making a throwing error during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The Rockies won 5-4.

DENVER – With the calendars having rolled to September, Diamondbacks closer Brad Ziegler pointed out that just about everyone in baseball is tired at this point in the season. And he admitted he is probably among them, particularly after a stretch in which he has been worked often, both on days when he pitched in games and days when he didn’t.

“It seems like the workload has been up a little bit, even in the number of times I’ve had to get up,” Ziegler said. “It’s not really (manager Chip Hale’s) fault. It’s that we have the tying run to the plate in the eighth or ninth inning every night.”

Ziegler was charged with seven earned runs in a two-day span on Sunday and Monday after having previously allowed just nine earned runs all season. In the process, his ERA swelled from 1.46 to 2.48.

Although Ziegler is still well short of his career high in games – he pitched in 78 games in 2013 – his appearance total (58) doesn’t tell the whole story given the uncertain nature of when a closer might be used.

Perhaps no game illustrates that better than the Diamondbacks’ 15-inning loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 18, a night Ziegler had to warm up in advance of a possible save opportunity in five or six consecutive innings. He said that night was when his fatigue began to set in.

“It was kind of taxing on the body and I did my best to manage it,” he said. “But I also had to be ready to go in case we scored with two outs.”

Ziegler did not pitch in either end of Tuesday’s doubleheader, and if he gets Wednesday off, as well, he’ll get three days in a row with Thursday’s off day. He’s hoping some downtime helps.

“Even if I’m not 100 percent by then – and I probably haven’t been 100 percent all year – I can at least feel refreshed and rested instead of an everyday waking up with soreness kind of thing,” he said.

Still, it’s not like Ziegler is getting hammered. Of the 10 hits he’s allowed, nine have been singles, and he would have avoided his blown save on Monday night had he cleanly fielded a ball back to the mound.

“That’s part of being a contact pitcher,” Ziegler said. “Sometimes that’s going to happen. It’s weird that it happened on back-to-back days in tight situations. Hopefully that’ll even itself back out and I’ll have some hard-hit balls that are right at guys to balance it out at some point.”

Short hops

With rosters expanding, the Diamondbacks recalled infielder Brandon Drury and right-handers Enrique Burgos and Matt Stites from Triple-A Reno. Hale said the club would add more players in the coming days.

*Infielder Aaron Hill is dealing with hamstring issues in addition to a bruised hand, Hale said. Because of the hamstring, Hale would like to avoid starting him in the thin air in Colorado. Hill pinch hit in the second game, lining a game-tying two-run double to left field, but he hobbled into second base and was lifted for a pinch runner.

*The Diamondbacks will have eight minor leagues representing them in the Arizona Fall League this year. Rosters announced Tuesday include pitchers Yoan Lopez, Keith Hessler, Adam Miller and Daniel Gibson; catcher Oscar Hernandez; infielder Jack Reinheimer; and outfielders Gabby Guerrero and Daniel Palka.

Lopez is the most high profile of the participants. The Diamondbacks spent more than $16 million to sign him in January, but Lopez has only thrown 54 innings at Double-A Mobile this season, missing time with blister and elbow problems and a month for “personal reasons.”

Reinheimer and Guerrero came to the Diamondbacks in the Trumbo trade. Guerrero is listed on the Salt River Rafters’ “taxi squad,” meaning he is only eligible to be activated on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The league begins play on Oct. 13.

*Hale said the club had settled on a starter for Friday in Chicago but would not reveal the mystery pitcher’s identity.

“I don’t think we’re ready to announce it yet,” he said.

It is expected to be a pitcher the club brings up from the minor leagues.

Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or nick.piecoro@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.

PHOTOS: Diamondbacks vs. Rockies

Wednesday’s game

Diamondbacks at Rockies

When: 5:40 p.m.

Where: Coors Field, Denver.

Pitchers: Diamondbacks RHP Chase Anderson (6-5, 4.22) vs. Rockies RHP Jon Gray (0-0, 6.00).

TV/Radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM (620), KSUN-AM (1400).

Anderson has fared well in two starts since his short-lived demotion to the minor leagues. He tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings against the Reds in Cincinnati, then allowed two runs in six innings the Athletics at Chase Field on Friday. … Anderson did not allow a home run in either start. … Gray, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft, has made five starts so far in the big leagues, though the Rockies have kept him on a short leash. He did not exceed 77 pitches in his first four starts before getting up to 89 in his most recent outing, in which he lasted 4 1/3 innings against the Pirates. … He has averaged 94.6 mph on his fastball, per FanGraphs, and has mixed in change-ups and sliders.

Coming up

Thursday: Off.

Friday: At Chicago, 11:20 a.m., Diamondbacks TBA vs. Cubs LHP Jon Lester (8-10, 3.59).

Saturday: At Chicago, 11:20 a.m., Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (3-10, 3.72) vs. Cubs RHP Jake Arrieta (17-6, 2.11).

Sunday: At Chicago, 11:20 a.m., Diamondbacks RHP Rubby De La Rosa (11-6, 4.46)* vs. Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (6-6, 4.15).

* -- Statistics entering Tuesday.