Greinke was healthy in debut, Hale apologizes to media
PHOENIX -- If Zack Greinke was ill during his Diamondbacks debut on Monday, it was news to manager Chip Hale.
FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal on Tuesday reported a source told him Greinke pitched while suffering from the flu. Greinke gave up seven runs to the Rockies in four innings, including six runs in the third, in a 10-5 loss.
"If he had the flu and it was an issue he probably wouldn't have been able to start," Hale said.
Greinke talks to the media only on the day he pitches, so he was unavailable to clear up the matter.
Hale said the new ace right-hander had dealt with an upper-respiratory issue recently.
"But he was checked out and he was fine," Hale said.
Greinke is schedule to start Saturday against the Cubs.
A couple of Hale's postgame comments from Monday made headlines and on Tuesday he apologized for blaming the media for overhyping Greinke's debut.
"The hype was generated because we think we have a good team. You guys agree; you're excited about the team, what the organization has done. So I do apologize for that. I didn't mean to be harsh in any way. I was just starting a fact that even some players talked to me about -- that you lose that first game, with the team we believe we can be and it's almost the sky-is-falling type of attitude that comes to the. I didn't want those guys to feel that. I didn't mean to put it on your guys. We also think we're a pretty good team, too. There was disappoint."
Hale said his son, Jack, got on him about the comments when he woke up Tuesday morning.
All-Star center fielder A.J. Pollock underwent surgery on his fractured elbow and the team announced everything "went well."
A plate was placed on the olecranon fracture (tip of elbow). There is no timetable for return at this time.
Pollock previously said he wants to return this season but on Monday said he won't come back too early.
"My No. 1 thing is that when it's ready, I want to make sure that I'm not just out there and I'm playing at a very high level and able to help this team win," Pollock said. "Just simply being out there, I don't think it's good, especially with the type of players we have. It won't make sense to be out there just to be out there. I'm going to make sure it's right. I'm itching to get out there. I don't really want to put a date on it, but I'll be itching to get out there as early as I can."
After the D-backs bullpen was needed for five innings in the opener and Silvino Bracho wasn't particularly effective in his inning, the team purchased the contract of right-hander Kyle Drabek and optioned Bracho to Triple-A Reno.
Right-handers Evan Marshall and Enrique Burgos were the final two relievers cut at the end of spring training, but were not eligible to be recalled because they were optioned fewer than 10 days ago. The D-backs also sought a pitcher who could throw multiple innings.
Drabek is a starter, a former first-round draft pick, son of former Pirates star pitcher Doug Drabek -- now a coach in the D-backs minor league system -- and a former high school teammate of Paul Goldschmidt's in the Houston area.