Last season was a rare down year for Ziegler, mostly because of an injured right knee. The 35-year-old tried to pitch through the pain, but since his right leg is his push leg, he was unable to get as low to the ground as he needed to, which is key for a pitcher like him who throws with a submarine delivery.
Ziegler would ultimately undergo microfracture surgery on the knee, and while the D-backs had to do without him for the final couple of months of the 2014 season, the injury turned out to be a blessing for the organization.