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Countdown to Arizona Diamondbacks Opening Day: D-52, Erik Davis

Today, it’s a pitcher who almost broke in with the Nats, before Tommy John detoured his career.

By Jim McLennan
Washington Nationals Photo Day Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images

We asked you to rank the 40-man roster along with the 16 non-roster invitees to spring training, and every day between now and the eve of Opening Day, we’ll have a profile of one of those Diamondbacks.

D minus 52: Erik Davis

  • Date of birth: October 8, 1986
  • Ht/Wt: 6’3”, 205 lbs
  • Position: Pitcher
  • Status: Non-roster invitee
  • Bats/Throws: R/R
  • 2016 MLB numbers: Did not play
  • SnakePit Rating: 2.74 [pattern of votes below]

The oldest of our non-roster invitee pitchers, Davis drafted back in 2008 by the Padres, who took him in the 13th round. San Diego then traded him to Washington in March 2011, for Alberto Gonzalez, and it was with them in 2013 that he enjoyed his only major-league action. He appeared in 10 games out of their bullpen, between two call-ups in June and September, allowing three runs in 8.2 innings, with a K:BB ratio of 12:1. However, any hopes of building on that fell apart as he strained his elbow throwing to hitters before official spring training had even begun. He initially said it was “not that bad,” but he ended up having Tommy John surgery six weeks later.

It cost him the entire 2014 campaign, and he was didn’t appear for the big-league club in the two seasons which followed, despite a September call-up in 2015. Here’s video of him at that point, talking about his recovery from Tommy John

Last year, he appeared 45 times for the Nats’ AAA affiliate in Syracuse, posting a 4.13 ERA, and striking out 64 in 52.1 innings, but was cut loose by Washington in November. He signed with Arizona nine days later, and should be one of a number of candidates this spring for a spot at the back of the D-backs bullpen. Perhaps Davis can bond with Evan Marshall and Archie Bradley. For in 2007, playing in the Cape Cod league, he was hit in the face by a line-drive, and needed four titanium plates to rebuild his cheek-bone and eye socket. Based on his Twitter feed (@edavis19), he drove across from his home in South Boston to Scottsdale, and getting in his work along the way!

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