Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Leake could be delayed in joining the starting rotation to begin the season, manager Torey Lovullo acknowledged on Friday.
Leake, who is recovering from a fracture in his left wrist, has been throwing regular bullpen sessions but has still not been cleared to pitch in a game setting, an obstacle that could throw into doubt his availability for Opening Day.
“We’re approaching that thought internally,” Lovullo said. “We’re having discussions about that. We’ve got to be careful. At a certain point, if we’re pushing it too far back we might be putting him in harm’s way to force him in there.