Arizona Diamondbacks' Trevor Cahill sporting revamped throwing motion

Trevor Cahill isn't sure how it looks or whether it's going to be effective. All he knows is that he feels totally different.

Cahill has shown up to Diamondbacks camp with a revamped arm slot. Instead of his usual three-quarters motion, he's throwing from almost straight over the top. The hope is he's able to find a delivery he can repeat consistently, thus leading to more consistent command. The early results are encouraging.

"The ball has been very electric out of his hand so far," manager Chip Hale said.

With his new arm slot making the ball move more vertically than laterally, like it was before, Cahill doesn't have a good feel for how much his sinker is sinking. And though catchers have told him the ball is still diving, he's curious to see what happens when he faces hitters.

"You don't know if it's good or not until a hitter steps in," Cahill said. "They'll let you know."

Cahill is coming off consecutive down years. Last season, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen, he had a 5.61 ERA in 110 2/3 innings.

CAMERON COX WITH MANAGER CHIP HALE

The Diamondbacks, who owe him $12 million this season, would be thrilled if they could get him back on track. Whether or not they can is unclear. But one thing they don't question is Cahill's effort level.

He worked with pitching coach Mike Harkey in the offseason, making the one-hour-plus drive (depending on traffic) from his home in San Diego to meet Harkey in Fullerton.

"He's doing all the right things right now," Harkey said. "He worked his butt off this winter to make some changes. These changes, whether they translate into winning 15 games, I couldn't be more proud of him. The hardest thing to do as a pitcher is believe that you need to make a change. And he believed he needed to make a change and he's done it. Hopefully, it will work out."

Randy talks

Hall of Famer and special assistant Randy Johnson addressed the pitching staff prior to Monday's workout.

Hale said part of the message was urging pitchers to dig deeper to get more out of themselves, adding that Johnson's early-career struggles make him more relatable to most pitchers.

"He's been that guy who had to really develop his style of pitching," Hale said. "Everybody remembers what he did at the end, but when he first came through the minor leagues and into the big leagues, it was a tough go for him mechanically."

Short hops

Outfield prospect Matt Railey was suspended 50 games for testing positive for amphetamines, the commissioner's office announced. Railey, the club's third-round pick last year, posted an .882 OPS in 45 at-bats last year in the rookie-level Arizona League before going down with a hamstring injury.

• Hale is expecting everyone in town by Tuesday, the report date for position players, with the possible exception of outfield prospect Socrates Brito, who was apparently having trouble with flight delays. But Hale expected Brito to arrive in time for the club's first full squad workout Wednesday.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS SPRING TRAINING