On Wednesday, the Diamondbacks officially got underway with their spring training festivities, and they also received a bit of good news to kick things off -- slugger Paul Goldschmidt’s broken left hand is completely healed, according to the 27-year-old first baseman.
Arizona was already in the midst of a lost season that saw them quickly fall into the NL West cellar when Goldschmidt was hit by a pitch on the left hand late in a contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates. At first, it wasn’t viewed as a serious ailment, but ultimately, it ended up sidelining the face of the franchise for the rest of the 2014 season. As a result, he finished with a 300/.396/.542 line in only 109 games, to go along with 19 HR and 69 RBI. He also posted 39 doubles and drew 64 walks in his abbreviated season.
Goldschmidt was coming off a monster breakout campaign in ’13, when he slugged .302/.401/.551 with 36 HR, 125 RBI, 103 R, and he even stole 15 bases. Without question, Goldschmidt is an MVP-caliber player and a top-tier talent when it comes to fantasy, so this is great news for Diamondbacks fans and anyone seeking the services of the four-year veteran for their fantasy lineups. Also having Mark Trumbo and newcomer Yasmany Tomas, the D-backs will sport a very powerful heart-of-the-order come Opening Day.