Diamondbacks’ general manager Kevin Towers said during a web chat Thursday that “we still think there’s a chance” Stephen Drew (ankle) will be ready for Opening Day.
“With Stephen, he’s progressing every week,” wrote Towers. “He’s swinging the bat now and doing baseball-specific agility drills, which is good. We still think there’s a chance that he could be ready by Opening Day. Until we start playing games and see where he’s at, so far the drills are in a controlled environment and game speed can be different. We’ll have a better idea then.” It’s important to note that Drew is headed into what is essentially his contract year (his $10 million option for 2013 includes a $1.35 buyout), so he’ll likely take every precaution before playing in games. The D-Backs re-signed Willie Bloomquist and John McDonald over the winter, so they have some insurance in the event that he begins the season on the disabled list. Fantasy owners should monitor this situation closely in the coming weeks.
Source: mlb.com