Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Hank Conger out with oblique strain
Catcher Hank Conger, who is in the Diamondbacks’ camp on a minor-league contract, is dealing with a strained right oblique muscle and will be sidelined for an indefinite period of time, according to manager Torey Lovullo.
“It’s unfortunate for Hank, trying to come in here and make an impression as a non-roster player,” Lovullo said after workouts on Saturday at a soggy Salt River Fields. “Those (injury) things aren’t well-timed, but the first thing we need to do is get him healthy and see where we can evaluate him. But he’s working very hard behind the scenes with our medical team to get it right.”
Conger, who has spent time with the Angels, Astros and Rays, suffered the oblique strain on Thursday. Right-hander Matt Koch, meanwhile, remains day-to-day with a tight hamstring, Lovullo said.
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Dealing with the rain
A steady dose of showers forced the Diamondbacks to move their annual Fan Fest to Monday, but it didn’t really put a damper on scheduled workouts on Saturday, Lovullo said.
The team was able to get virtually all of its work in despite the rain and wet fields.
“Days like today are always challenging, but we’ve got a good cast of coaches that made some adjustments and everybody got in what they were supposed to get in,” the first-year manager said. “The day the rain decided to come, it was a perfect day. Our pitchers were going to have a scheduled light day where they weren’t going to be throwing a bullpen and the hitters did what they were supposed to do so it was actually a successful day for us.”
More rain is scheduled for Sunday, which could alter things. Lovullo said the team has a backup plan in case the weather backs things up and forces the team indoors completely.
“(Sunday) was a little more of a heavy-lifting day for us and if it doesn’t work out the way we want it to, we’re going to be playing a little bit of catchup,” Lovullo said. “… We’ll piece it together as we get more information.”
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Hee Haw
Lovullo’s father, Sam, was a producer and co-creator of the television show “Hee Haw,” a country-music inspired variety program that ran from 1969 to 1997. Sam passed away last month at age 88 and Torey was asked on Saturday what he remembered about his dad and the show.
“I had as normal an upbringing as you could possibly imagine,” he said. “I didn’t know what my dad did until I was in fifth grade and my school teacher called me over and asked me what I did for the summer. I said, ‘I played baseball, and went to All-Stars.’ She said ‘No, no, no. What did you do after that?’ I said, ‘I went to Nashville, Tennessee, and I got a chance to sit down with my dad and visit with some of the people he works with.’
“She said, ‘Do you realize who those people are?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it’s Buck Owens and Roy Clark.’ It was like nothing to me because I’d sit and play cards and laugh and tell jokes with those guys. They were my friends.”
Lovullo said his dad was always a father first and that he learned a lot more about his father over the last year, adding, “He was a very special guy and I’m proud of what he accomplished.”
The younger Lovullo wasn’t always a big fan of “Hee Haw,” however. He said he was forced to watch it every Sunday night and that the experience was “like grinding teeth.” Eventually, he said, he grew to appreciate and like the show as he got older.
As for Sam, Torey said his father mingled with some of the biggest names in the country, from U.S. Presidents to movie stars and the top singers of his generation. But Sam also deeply loved baseball and those were the people that really made him smile.
“When he got around managers, players and coaches, he was like a kid in a candy story,” Lovullo said. “I’ll never forget that.”
Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Wednesday night between 7-9 on Fox Sports 910-AM on The Freaks with Kenny and Crash.
