SURPRISE, Ariz. — Now that catching prospect Tom Murphy is in minor-league camp, Dustin Garneau has the inside track to be Nick Hundley’s backup. Defensively, he’s been sound, but he knows his offense needs a boost.
“I’m catching pretty well and I think I have a pretty good idea of how the staff is working,” Garneau said Monday. “Offensively, it’s obvious that I’m not putting up numbers like I want to, or like I should, but it is spring training.
“Still, I have to improve and be more productive at the plate than I have been.”
In 22 games (70 at-bats) with the Rockies in a call-up late last season, Garneau hit .157 with two homers and had an on-base percentage of just .224. He’s hitting .118 (2-for-17) this spring.
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Manager Walt Weiss said the club doesn’t need Garneau to be a power hitter in a backup catcher’s role.
“We’ve had several different conversations with him about what’s expected offensively,” Weiss said. “Really it comes down to his ability to handle the bat. We are not looking for run production out of that role, out of that position. He’s got the ability to move the ball around the field, hit-and-run and execute the offense.”
Weiss added that both Jackson Williams and Tony Wolters (who can also play second base) are also intriuging options as Hundley’s backup.
Amazing Arenado. Nolan Arenado continued his scorched-earth spring training. He finished Monday’s game against the Rangers 2-for-2 with a walk and is now hitting .629. He has 22 hits in 35 at-bats, with multiple hits in eight consecutive games.
But it’s not simply the production that wows Weiss, it’s Arenado’s fiery desire.
“Every time I give him the option, he wants to play,” Weiss said when asked why Arenado made the long trip from Scottsdale to the far-west side of the Phoenix metro area. “Nolan always says he wants to play. He was supposed to have today off, but he wants to make the trip to Surprise. He’s the only everyday player that wants to do that.
“So he chose to play three days in a row and travel to Surprise rather than having a day off. But, as we all know, that’s Nolan.”
