The Diamondbacks want Waldschmidt to show improvement against breaking pitches at Triple-A Reno before calling him back up to the majors, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Waldschmidt enjoyed some initial success upon being promoted to the big leagues May 8, but pitchers adjusted to him over the last few weeks, and his strikeouts piled up. The outfielder posted 56.2 percent whiff rate against breaking balls and a 32.8 percent overall strikeout rate in 33 games for Arizona before he was optioned to Reno on Monday. Specifically, Diamondbacks hitting coach Joe Mather noted that Waldschmidt struggled with the higher spin rates of MLB pitches, and the organization wants to ensure that the 23-year-old is better prepared to handle breaking pitches before he gets his next appointment to the big leagues. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo added that he wants Waldschmidt to improve at controlling counts and not swing at "pitcher's pitches" as he makes his return to Reno.