For outfielder, setbacks are a chance to grow

This story was excerpted from Steve Gilbert’s D-backs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Jake McCarthy was back in the D-backs clubhouse Friday wearing a big smile, as usual, after being recalled from Triple-A Reno to replace outfielder Dominic Fletcher, who was optioned to Reno.

McCarthy opened the season as the D-backs starting right fielder after an outstanding second half in 2022, but was optioned to Reno on April 25 after hitting .143/.229/.238 in his first 70 plate appearances.

While he understood the need to make a move -- the D-backs were off to a hot start and he was struggling -- it was hard to deal with emotionally. Last season, McCarthy got demoted on two occasions and came back better each time.

“This time around was a little harder because you think you finished the season well last year and you almost tell yourself, 'Hey, I’m never going down again,'” McCarthy said. “We’re all competitive, we all have confidence, it’s like, that part is in the past. When you don’t play well, I think everyone is subject to that. It could happen to anyone. No one is really above that. This game always finds a way to humble you. I think it’s our job as players to learn from it and just come back stronger. As much as it sucked, I’m trying to learn more about myself as a player and how I can be better moving forward.”

McCarthy caught fire the final four games with Reno, going 12-for-19 with a pair of home runs. Prior to that he had been hitting .254/.357/.408.

Going to Reno was not what he wanted, but he hopes his recent success there will carry over.

“Going down is never fun, but a change of scenery, it’s almost like a fresh start,” McCarthy said. “It’s like, OK, let’s try to build this thing back up. I’ve said this before, I’ve said this to my family, I always feel confident regardless of what the numbers say on the board. I take pride in being mentally tough and dealing with the ups and downs that come with being a baseball player. It’s not like I necessarily needed to be away from baseball, but it’s definitely been refreshing to have some success as late and try to keep it going.”