Dbacks recap and notes

Smith (forearm) will start at first base and bat third in Thursday’s Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Smith was originally expected to return from his forearm injury Wednesday, but he’ll now make his return after an extra day of rest. He’s posted a .966 OPS through 29 plate appearances this spring and will have one more week of Cactus League games to prepare for the regular season.

Moreno (forearm) will start as Arizona’s designated hitter and bat fifth in Thursday’s Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Moreno has sat out the Diamondbacks‘ last several spring games while managing forearm tightness, but he’s now ready to return to action after a few days of rest. After beginning Cactus League play 5-for-28 at the dish, he will now use the next week to prepare to work as Arizona’s primary backstop.

Carroll started at designated hitter and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a stolen base and two additional runs scored in Wednesday’s spring game against the Cubs.

Carroll is still getting his timing down after missing the first two-and-a-half weeks of Cactus League games. The home run was a positive sign in that regard. He’s gone 2-for-13 over four contests, all while serving as the DH, but a report earlier this week indicated a plan to have him return to the outfield later this week.

Kelly (back) allowed two runs on five hits over 2.2 innings in Wednesday’s spring start against the Cubs.

Kelly made his second spring start and threw 36 pitches, the same number he delivered in his Cactus League debut last Friday. He indicated over the weekend that he expects to open the season on the injured list and judging by his pitch count, Kelly appears headed for some sort of delay, whether that be on the IL or being skipped in the first turn of the rotation.

Santana started at first base and went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday’s spring game against the Cubs.

Santana played in his first Cactus League game since returning from the World Baseball Classic, in which he played for Team Dominican Republic. For the Diamondbacks, Santana is expected to share first base with Pavin Smith (forearm) and get regular turns as a designated hitter.