Josh Rojas blistered the second pitch he saw on Sunday afternoon, lining it into center field for a clean single. A hard-hit ball off Rojas’ bat has become a common sight at Salt River Fields in the early days of Cactus League play.

That was not the case last spring, his first with the Diamondbacks, nor, he says, did he tend to perform well in camp during his time in Houston Astros organization. But this has been a year of change for the Diamondbacks’ infielder.

He changed the way he prepares for spring training. He changed his diet and his sleep habits. He changed how hard he was lifting.

And, more than a week into Cactus League games, it is hard to quibble with the results. Rojas is 7 for 18 (.389) with three home runs. He has looked solid defensively on the infield. With playing time up for grabs at second base, Rojas is an early leader to claim it.

“It basically falls on my shoulders to show that I can compete against anybody we face,” he said. “I think that it’s my job to compete and do the best I can.”

During his time with the Astros, Rojas said he would come into camp with an understanding of what level at which he would begin the minor-league season. Rojas felt like he could use spring training to make whatever adjustments were needed so long as he was ready once the season began.

He learned last year he couldn’t do that anymore. He found himself trying to both win a job and make adjustments simultaneously. It did not go well.

Rojas, who was part of the Diamondbacks’ return in the Zack Greinke trade, went just 5 for 34 in the Cactus League. His struggles continued at summer camp in intrasquad and exhibition games, in which he went a combined 0 for 27 with four walks. During the regular season, he hit just .180 (11 for 61).

“I think that extra pressure that I was trying to do both things just really — we all saw the struggles that I had last year,” Rojas said. “I didn’t really feel comfortable. I think those changes I was trying to make in spring carried over into the season and I never really got comfortable at the plate.”

In January, Rojas began working with Diamondbacks hitting coaches to open up his stance at the plate. He worked with the team’s training staff at generating explosiveness, something he thinks his closed-off stance could halt. He thinks the changes have helped his plate coverage and his pitch recognition.

Other changes began earlier in the offseason. In addition to eating better, he said experimented with not eating close to bedtime. He also stopped bringing his phone with him to bed. He soon noticed a difference, feeling stronger during workouts.

“During the stretch of the season, you’ll have a day game and a night game and you’ve got to be able to lay down and fall asleep when you need to sleep,” Rojas said. “That’s always been a problem for me in the past. I’m normally not a morning person. Today, I didn’t even need an alarm and woke up on schedule.

“I’m just trying to take everything in and do anything I can to not repeat last season.”

Short hops

—Shortstop Nick Ahmed was scratched from Monday’s lineup with right knee soreness. The injury is not considered serious, manager Torey Lovullo said, calling it “nothing that we’re overly concerned about at this point.”

—Left-hander Madison Bumgarner’s next outing will take place in a sim game on Wednesday afternoon.

—Right-hander Tyler Clippard is scheduled to make his first Cactus League appearance on Tuesday. Also pitching in relief against the Rockies in a game started by Luke Weaver will be right-handers Corbin Martin, J.B. Bukauskas, Stefan Crichton and lefty Ryan Buchter.

Diamondbacks 2, Giants 2 (9 innings)

At Scottsdale Stadium

At the plate: C Daulton Varsho (triple) and 1B Wyatt Mathisen (double) helped rough up Giants RHP Jimmie Sherfy, a former Diamondbacks reliever who gave up two runs in the fifth inning. Varsho tripled with one out, lining a ball into the right-center field gap. RF Pavin Smith walked. And Mathisen banged a double off the left-field wall to cap a prolonged at-bat. “There was a lot that went into him getting that pitch,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “He fouled off several other quality pitches with two strikes that enabled him to get his hands on that pitch.” DH Stephen Vogt tripled in the eighth on a drive to the wall in right-center field, where Giants CF Luis Alexander Basabe nearly made a terrific jumping catch.

On the mound: LHP Caleb Smith tossed three scoreless, hitless innings in a sharp rebound from his rough first start. Smith worked around a leadoff walk in the second and a catcher’s interference in the third. “What stood out to me was a quality change-up,” Lovullo said. “He kept going back to it. He kept reading swings and had a lot of really productive moments with it.” RHP Yoan Lopez gave up two runs in one inning, the second time in as many outings that Lopez has been scored upon this spring.

Tuesday’s game: Diamondbacks RHP Luke Weaver vs. Rockies RHP Chi-Chi Gonzalez, 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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