On the mound again: Gallen's Spring Training approach

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- In a rather circular twist of fate, Zac Gallen's 2024 season began how his '23 campaign ended: with a start against the Rangers.

This time around, though, the stakes were decidedly lower.

"Somebody just joked that it's ironic, the last team you faced is the first team you face in Spring Training," Gallen said following his spring debut in Thursday's 7-5 loss to Texas at Surprise Stadium.

Gallen last pitched against the Rangers in Game 5 of the World Series, when he put together arguably his best postseason start but was tagged with the D-backs' final loss of the season.

That magical run to the National League pennant is a large part of why Gallen's first spring start didn't come until nearly two weeks of Cactus League action had elapsed.

Arizona opted to ease Gallen and No. 2 starter Merrill Kelly into game action this spring due to last season's heavy workload. Gallen crossed the 200-inning plateau for the first time in his career in 2023, and his 210 frames ranked second in the Majors behind only San Francisco's Logan Webb.

That's not to mention the 33 2/3 innings that Gallen logged in the postseason.

On Thursday, the 28-year-old right-hander hit the targets that manager Torey Lovullo and the coaching staff had laid out for him before the game -- tossing 36 pitches across two innings. Gallen was pleased with how he felt as he struck out two, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks.

Gallen has been steadily preparing for the season by throwing on the backfields, but there's no real substitute for game action.

"The last time I was out there [facing live hitters], I was basically telling the guy what was coming because I wanted to work on those pitches," Gallen said. "And then when you get into a game, you can't do that, and you can't work on stuff exactly how you want to. … You have a tendency to speed up.

"That was an emphasis for me today. It's something I've been working on playing catch, and even in the sides, but to replicate it when you get out there is a whole different animal."

The late start leaves little buffer room for the D-backs to get Gallen and Kelly -- who will make his spring debut on Friday against a Cubs split squad at Salt River Fields -- up to speed.

Since Gallen's expected to be the Opening Day starter, the schedule allows him to make three additional starts on regular rest -- with one extra day -- before Arizona hosts Colorado to open the regular season on March 28.

The tight timeline was top of mind as dark clouds loomed and a steady drizzle persisted until Thursday's first pitch.

"If there's rain or a situation, we'll still find the time to get them to throw," Lovullo said of Gallen and Kelly. "I think there might be a one-day space in there -- if something were to happen, one day might give us some creativity. But for the most part, they've got to stay on the schedule from here on out."

Gallen isn't particularly concerned about his limited spring innings, though he acknowledged that it takes time to develop a natural feel for his arsenal and arm to "drop into its slot."

Because of a few irregular Spring Trainings in the near past -- Gallen was sidelined with an injury in 2021 and the lockout resulted in an abridged camp in '22 -- he's not sure exactly how long that takes or how many batters he must face to get there.

Keeping those prior experiences in mind, Gallen said he began his throwing program earlier than usual this past offseason to hit the ground running while still managing his workload.

"I felt pretty good about where I was at today in terms of just tempo and rhythm and stuff like that with my delivery," Gallen said. "I felt like command was fairly solid for the first live-action of another team."

Results take a backseat to feel in Spring Training, something Gallen is well aware of as he enters his sixth season in the big leagues. But it's challenging to get a true sense of feel in non-game situations.

"There's nothing quite like somebody else in another uniform that you don't know and you're looking to really get out for all the right reasons," Lovullo said.