Flamethrower Carlos Vargas makes the cut as D-Backs roster takes shape

The Diamondbacks made their final roster decisions on Tuesday in advance of Opening Day, adding hard-throwing reliever Carlos Vargas to their bullpen, going with Jose Herrera as their backup catcher and replacing injured reliever Joe Mantiply with lefty Kyle Nelson, manager Torey Lovullo said.

The news surrounding Mantiply was the most unexpected. The club’s lone All-Star last season, Mantiply had been nursing a shoulder issue for the past four days or so, Lovullo said.

Tests came back clean, Lovullo said, adding that the club believes it is possible Mantiply will be able to return as soon as he is eligible to come off the 15-day injured list.

“Very minimal concern,” Lovullo said. “I don’t know the official diagnosis, but there’s nothing in there that would be alarming.”

Nelson, who was optioned to Triple-A Reno last week, gives the club a second lefty in the bullpen, joining Andrew Chafin. Nelson had a 2.19 ERA in 37 innings last season.

Vargas, acquired in an offseason deal with the Cleveland Guardians, gives the Diamondbacks a pitcher capable of routinely touching triple-digits with his fastball, something their pitching staff has lacked for years.

Though he has thrown only 34 1/3 innings at full-season levels in his minor league career — the result of the pandemic and needing Tommy John surgery in 2021 — he helped allay any concerns with an impressive spring. He gave up just three runs in 10 1/3 innings, walking four and striking out 13.

Vargas beat out right-hander Ryan Hendrix, 28, for the final bullpen spot, though Hendrix made a strong impression during camp. He gave up four runs in eight innings but struck out 14 and walked only two, putting himself on the team's radar with a mid-90s sinker, slider and change-up.

"He had been nursing a little bit of a sore groin," Lovullo said. "We just felt like to get him down there, get some work done, get him back on the mound as soon as possible would be the best thing for him and this organization. He had an electric camp."

Hendrix, who has pitched in the majors for parts of two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, signed a minor-league deal in December.

Herrera, 26, will be on the Opening Day roster for the second consecutive year, this time taking the place of the injured Carson Kelly, who is out with a fractured forearm. He did not swing the bat well this spring, going just 2 for 35, which likely explains why the club was exploring external options in recent days before settling on Herrera.

Gabriel Moreno, acquired as part of the Daulton Varsho trade in December, will be the club’s frontline catcher.

The Diamondbacks open their season on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.

Looking good

Prospect Druw Jones, the second overall pick in last year’s draft, played in Tuesday’s spring finale at Chase Field, and he said he remains on target to be in the lineup when the minor-league season begins on April 6.

Jones, who underwent shoulder surgery to repair his left labrum last August, has not had any hiccups in his recovery, he said.

“It’s great to just finally know that I’m actually going to start playing more and playing every day,” Jones said. “That’s something I’m looking forward to.”

Jones took two at-bats on Tuesday, flying out to the warning track in right field and shooting a single to right. Both balls were well-struck, coming off his bat around 98 mph.

For the second day in a row, Lovullo sat at the podium after the game raving about one of the organization’s young position players.

“After he hit that ball to right field, my first thought was, ‘I can’t believe this kid has not played baseball for almost a year and he did that,’” Lovullo said. “He’s just getting his feet under him and he looks like he’s in incredible shape and ready for his baseball season. He barrels two balls to the right side of the diamond. Has a really good, short two-strike approach. It’s my first time getting a look at him. He’s a professional hitter. He knows where he is inside of the box. I think he’s poised and ready to have a very good season.”

Jones is likely to open the year with Low-A Visalia.

Defensive standout

When asked who had taken the biggest step forward this spring, Lovullo went with Josh Rojas. Specifically, he liked what he saw from Rojas at third base.

“Last year was a little bit of a challenge,” Lovullo said. “He knows. He knows what we’ve talked about. I took him out of the lineup last year because he wasn’t a trusted defender. But he is now and he’s earned that. I’m really excited for him.”

Rojas had a rough stretch of games in September, including a particularly ugly inning at Dodger Stadium, that led Lovullo to take him out of the lineup for a few days.

Short hop

Lovullo said he spoke with shortstop Nick Ahmed about how he expects playing time to shake out early in the season. Lovullo told reporters Ahmed, who is coming off shoulder surgery, is not likely to play every day, a way of easing him into the year and keeping young shortstop Geraldo Perdomo active.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Hard-throwing Carlos Vargas makes cut as D-Backs make final roster moves