By this time most years, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he already would have run through as many as 10 potential lineups variations for the start of the season. But he said Wednesday he hasn’t gone so far as to make even one yet this year.

From the sound of it, Lovullo is not only weighing a number of different batting order possibilities, he might be considering employing a flexible, ever-changing lineup that varies based on a variety of considerations.

Now, to be clear, Lovullo did not spell it out in concrete terms. He is a stickler about telling his players what they should expect before telling reporters, and he mentioned multiple times that he has not had time to “walk through” his thoughts with players.

But he sounded open to regular lineup alternations and he said he wants players to eschew the conventional thinking in terms of what it means to hit in a certain part of the order. He is expected to have a position-player group that offers extreme versatility. He sounds eager to try and make the most of it.

“I want to have a very diverse lineup,” Lovullo said. “I might do things a little different. We’re going to have our mainstays. You might see some different versions of our lineup throughout the course of this year. What that means, I don’t know.

“I want to maximize every run scoring potential that I possibly can. We’ve got to go out there and win the inch and I think me being creative is going to help us do that.”

Lovullo cautioned not to read anything into the lineups he has used thus far in the Cactus League, many of which have had, for example, David Peralta leading off, Ketel Marte hitting second and Christian Walker and Eduardo Escobar in the Nos. 3 and 4 spots.

Peralta has been leading off against lefties, Lovullo said, in large part so he can accumulate more at-bats against them. Much about his lineups, he said, can and will change once the season begins.

Depending on who makes the club, Lovullo could have the ability to go heavy with right- or left-handed hitters on any given day. The lefty-hitting Josh Rojas, Josh VanMeter and Pavin Smith and the right-handed hitting Tim Locastro, Wyatt Mathisen and Trayce Thompson — coupled with Marte and Escobar, who are both switch-hitters and offer positional versatility — open up a variety of lineup possibilities for the Diamondbacks. Lovullo can also play matchups with catchers Carson Kelly (right) and Stephen Vogt (left).

Last year, Marte told reporters on multiple occasions that his diminished power might have something to do him hitting at the top of the order, saying there were times he might have been cutting down on his swing in order to fine his way on base.

Asked if that sort of comment makes him less inclined to hit Marte in leadoff again this season, Lovullo answered in a more general way. He said the No. 2 hitter shouldn’t be hitting there in hopes of advancing runners. He said the leadoff man need not be the fastest player on the team.

“Those traditional spots and how each player reacts to where they’re hitting, I think we need to move away from that thought,” Lovullo said. “Those are things we’re talking about here, as well. So the players are beginning to understand. Wherever they’re hitting in the lineup or whatever position their position is isn’t going to impact what they do as a baseball player.”

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Short hops

Right fielder Kole Calhoun participated in baseball activities outside for the first time since undergoing knee surgery two weeks ago, throwing for 10 minutes and taking swings in the cage, Lovullo said. “He was smiling,” Lovullo said. “He felt very, very good. The medical team is very pleased with where he’s at.” Lovullo did not offer guidance on when Calhoun might return to games. He still appears likely to open the season on the injured list.

*Shortstop Nick Ahmed participated in defensive drills on Wednesday, Lovullo said, though he would not say when Ahmed will return. Ahmed has not played since March 6 due to knee soreness, and he was scratched from Tuesday’s game due to what Lovullo described as a “very minor personal situation.” Lovullo intimated that the “personal situation” was also the reason Ahmed did not play on Wednesday night.

*Marte, who exited Tuesday’s game with left ankle soreness, was feeling better on Wednesday, Lovullo said, who categorized his center fielder as “day-to-day.”

Rangers 3, Diamondbacks 0

At Surprise Stadium

On the mound: RHP Zac Gallen gave up three runs in 4 1/3 innings, allowing more hard contact than is typical for his outings. “I felt fine, but I was a tick off with some command things,” Gallen said. “I was rushing a little bit.” His change-up has been a focus for him this spring, and he said the pitch felt better as the evening progressed. “I’m just trying to perfect those pitches but not get too carried away with them not being midseason form,” he said. RHP Joakim Soria worked a clean sixth, striking out one. RHP Chris Devenski had a quick inning of work in the seventh, retiring the side in order. RHP Stefan Crichton retired two batters in the ninth, then gave way to RHP Yoan Lopez, who struck out the only batter he faced.

At the plate: A day after their lineup scored a spring-high 12 runs, the Diamondbacks were held to just one hit, a single to right by SS Domingo Leyba in the fifth. “I think we were missing some pitches in the zone, some fastballs in the zone,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I love the conversations that were being had in the dugout … (but it) didn’t seem to translate into very productive at-bats. A couple of hard-hit balls, (but) I felt like we could have been a little bit more productive with some of the approaches.” The Diamondbacks did not draw a walk. CF Tim Locastro reached in the first on a hit by pitch and stole second. He was stranded at third.

Thursday’s game: Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly vs. Dodgers LHP David Price, 1:10 p.m., Salt River Fields.

Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.

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