Pollock set for elbow surgery, timetable unclear
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale confirmed Friday night that A.J. Pollock will require surgery to repair his fractured right elbow, but wouldn't offer a guess as to when the 28-year-old center fielder might return to the lineup.
"Obviously right now we feel awful for A.J.," a visibly dejected Hale told reporters after Friday's exhibition at Chase Field. "We're a family, and it's like having one of your family members taken away from you right now."
After missing most of the Cactus League season with soreness in his elbow, Pollock was penciled into the lineup Friday for the first time since March 8. Though he was expected to be ready to go on Opening Day, Pollock's season was derailed in the bottom of the third inning when he fractured his right elbow sliding headfirst into home plate.
Pollock, an All-Star for the first time last season, fractured the same elbow in 2010 and missed the entire season. Hale noted that the club will know more Saturday once the severity of the break is determined.
"With (his earlier elbow) injury ... the one thing we were worried about was him diving headfirst. Just putting his hand down when he landed," Hale said. "It just was too much stress there."
Related: Fantasy Fallout: Can Socrates Brito fill the gap left by A.J. Pollock's injury?
With Pollock out indefinitely, the club will likely have Socrates Brito - the 23-year-old who hit .300/.339/.451 with 41 extra-base hits and 20 stolen bases in Double-A last year - take over as their primary center fielder. Chris Owings, however, could also see some time in center, while non-roster invitee Jason Bourgeois presents another option for Hale.
"You definitely feel for him. You don't want to see anyone get hurt," first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said of Pollock. "But as a team, we've got to step up and find a way to each do our job maybe a little better. We're going to miss him, but we've still got a season. Not to take anything away, but you can't get down. We've got a good group of guys in here and we'll respond as long as he's away. Hopefully it's a short time and we'll step up. That's what he'd want us to do as well."