Owings went 0-for-4 and struck out twice Friday in a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers. Owings is off to a slow start to the season, going hitless in 11 at-bats with five strikeouts and has yet to reach base at all. The 23-year-old was named the D-Backs' starter at second base ahead of Aaron Hill, but he could get a day off to clear his head if he doesn't get going soon.

Owings was o-for-4 with two strikeouts Wednesday in a 5-2 loss to the Giants. He is 0-for-7 with three strikeouts to start the year and he may be struggling with a mechanical change he made in spring training to take stress of his surgically repaired shoulder. It's just two games and you need to be patient with Owings coming back from a shoulder injury. That said, if he is indeed fighting a mechanical issue it could take some time to set or it could indicate the shoulder is bothering him. Aaron Hill could see some at-bats in place of Owings if he shows signs of either being the case.

Owings is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Giants. After an 0-for-3 showing in his 2015 debut, Owings will sit in favor of Aaron Hill on Tuesday. Hill will bat second against right-hander Ryan Vogelsong. Owings is still the primary second baseman but could lose out on more time to Hill early, with the team perhaps looking to showcase Hill for a trade.

Owings will begin the year as the Diamondbacks' starting second baseman, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. Owings was delayed at the start of spring training after undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason, and he didn't fare all that well in his 13 Cactus League games (.622 OPS, 1:6 BB:K), but he was still better than Aaron Hill (.440 OPS). Hill will come off the bench, with Nick Ahmed starting at short. While Owings looked bad after returning in September, the shoulder issue had a lot to do with that. He posted a .277/.313/.458 batting line with six homers and seven steals in 238 first-half at-bats.

Owings went 2-for-4 driving in and scoring a run with two doubles Thursday against the White Sox. Owings remains in a tight competition for the starting shortstop job with Nick Ahmed. The 23-year-old had a solid rookie season batting .261/.300/.406 with 6 homeruns and 8 steals, but it was marred by a shoulder injury that required off-season surgery from which he is still recovering. He played 18 games at second base last year and a shift across the diamond is also a possibility, but veteran Aaron Hill is entrenched there. The final decision about who starts at shortstop is down to the wire with Arizona's opener coming up on Monday.

D-backs manager Chip Hale refused to name Owings or Nick Ahmed as the team's starter at shortstop when asked about the state of the position earlier this week, the Arizona Republic reports. Returning from surgery to repair a torn labrum, Owings is 4-for-23 with five RBI, three stolen bases, and zero extra-base hits over seven games this spring. Health-wise, he appears to be on track for Opening Day, but there seems to be a growing possibility that Ahmed will receive more playing time than expected to begin the year, which may initially scale back Owings' workload.

Owings (shoulder) went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base in his spring debut Saturday against the Giants. He's back in the starting lineup for Arizona on Monday. It's expected that Owings will open the season as the Diamondbacks' shortstop. With his return over the weekend, he should see approximately 10 games with the big club before the end of spring training.

Owings (shoulder) is expected to play in his first Cactus League game Saturday night, the Arizona Republic reports. As a result of the shoulder surgery he had to repair a torn labrum, Owings is now following through with both hands on his swings. Owings played five innings in a "B" game Thursday and made it through the appearance unscathed.

Owings (shoulder) faced teammate Brad Ziegler in live batting practice Wednesday, marking his first session with a pitcher this spring, the Arizona Republic reports. The plan for Owings includes an appearance in a "B" game on Thursday. He's still in position to be ready for the start of the season, and Owings should be considered the favorite to get the Opening Day nod at shortstop for new manager Chip Hale.

Owings (shoulder) could appear in a Cactus League game next weekend, the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro reports. After taking live batting practice for the first time Friday, Owings is progressing as expected. He should have enough time left in spring training to play in approximately 10 Cactus League games.