"Diamondbacks closer J.J. Putz joked to manager Kirk Gibson that he wanted an easy, three-pitch outing Monday afternoon in his tactically delayed Cactus League debut. It wasn't quite that effortless, but it wasn't too far off as Putz breezed through a perfect inning at Surprise Stadium, retiring the side on three ground balls while sitting in the low-90s on the ballpark radar gun. "I felt good," Putz said. "We were able to get some efficient outs, get the ball on the ground and let the defense work. It was definitely nice to get the first one out of the way." Putz, perhaps the club's key off-season acquisition, wanted a lighter workload entering the season, and the Diamondbacks had no problem delaying his first outing of spring training until the team's 12th game. Putz said he needs only "seven or eight" innings to get ready for the season. Anything else is "overkill." "This is how he feels he can best prepare himself," Gibson said. "We want him to be prepared, and we're comfortable with that." Putz said he's using a similar routine to what he had during his days with the Seattle Mariners, including the year he posted a 1.38 ERA with 40 saves in 2007. But he might have one new wrinkle. Putz said he's working on a pitch that's "between a cutter and a slider" but added that it's going to be a minor part of a repertoire that still will be heavy on fastballs and splitters. "It's definitely not a pitch I'm going to get beat with late in the game," he said. "It's going to be something that, kind of the right time, right spot that I'm going to throw it." He didn't use it Monday but said he has been working on it in side sessions and plans to implement it in Cactus League games." Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/dia...diamondbacks-closer-jj-putz-cactus-debut.html
