In designating Carson Kelly for assignment earlier today, the Diamondbacks are a little short on catching depth, and GM Mike Hazen told reporters (including MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert) that the club was looking out for external catching options. Gabriel Moreno is the catcher of the present and future in Arizona, and beyond backup Jose Herrera, Ali Sanchez and Juan Centeno are the only other backstops in the organization with any Major League experience. Despite the situation, Hazen felt that “with five to six weeks to go, depth becomes less important than trying to put the best [team] on the field….When we had the roster construction in the first half of the season with Gabi and Herrera, we played really well. I don’t know that that is going to be the secret formula to getting back to the way we were before, I don’t think that’s anyone’s expectation, but that was the choice we had, to send Herrera down or make this move. We decided to make this move.”
Today’s victory over the Padres brought the D’Backs back up to a .500 (59-59) record, though the club is only 10-25 since the start of July. Between this slide and the Dodgers catching fire, the D’Backs went from leading the NL West to trailing Los Angeles by 12.5 games, and the Snakes are also 2.5 games back of a wild card position. While any number of factors have contributed to Arizona’s struggles, a lack of pitching has been the biggest culprit, and the D’Backs will now “take some risks and play it by ear, week by week” with their rotation, according to Hazen. Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt will continue to operate as traditional starters, but the team be open to using bullpen games, piggyback starters, or opener/bulk pitcher setups for the remaining two rotation spots until Zach Davies is back from the 15-day injured list to take one of the spots.
Some other notes from around the NL West…
- Mike Yastrzemski has been on the Giants’ 10-day IL since July 31 recovering from a hamstring strain, but the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser writes that the outfielder is close to being activated. Yastrzemski had a live batting practice session on Saturday and has been running the bases at full speed, so it doesn’t appear as though he’ll need any minor league rehab work. With Yastrzemski possibly returning on Monday, Slusser speculates that the Giants might option Luis Matos to Triple-A, since Heliot Ramos has been hitting well as of late.
- In other Giants injury updates, Mitch Haniger could soon begin a minor league rehab assignment, and Slusser estimates that he might return to the majors in around two weeks’ time. Haniger hasn’t played since June 13 due to forearm surgery, continuing his unfortunate recent history of injury-shortened seasons. The news isn’t as good for Marco Luciano, as the top prospect will sidelined for at least a month due to a hamstring strain. Luciano made his MLB debut with a four-game cameo with the Giants in July, as the team needed an extra infielder to help solve some depth issues. Over 292 combined plate appearances at Double-A and Triple-A in 2023, Luciano has hit .231/.336/.445 with 13 home runs.
- Jurickson Profar suffered what the Rockies described as a twisted left knee in today’s game, which forced Profar to make an early exit. Profar had to collide with the left field ball to make a running catch on a Mookie Betts fly ball, and Profar was in obvious discomfort afterwards. Colorado manager Bud Black told reporters (including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post) that Profar had already been dealing with a sore left knee even prior to today’s injury, and the outfielder will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the problem.
Carson Kelly number looks didnt so bad,since he was a back up, and especially if you compare it to LA backup catcher numbers (Austin Barnes). LA might should pick him up or replace him with their triple A catcher (Hunter Feduccia) who posted .293/.409/.467 in 70 games so far in OKC
Barnes will finish out the season, as I don’t think there’s any way the Dodgers move on from Kershaw’s personal catcher. Yes, they once moved AJ Ellis mid-season, but with CK a free agent again this off-season and an even greater possibility that he goes to Texas next year, I don’t think the Dodgers will do anything to rock the boat.
That all said, Barnes has been absolutely awful and needs to be DFA’d.
Barnes is not Kershaw’s “personal catcher.” He’s thrown to Smith in at least a third of his starts this year. If the Dodgers didn’t think Barnes had value defensively and for his work with pitchers, then he’d be gone by now. And I guess the “going to Texas” rumors aren’t going to end until Kershaw retires, as a Dodger. Until then, they are going to be wrong as always.
Why is Kershaw more likely to go to Texas next year?
Barnes can play 2B in a pinch
Send down Mathis…..Matos and Ramos are just scratching their potential
Mathis plays 2nd base..the OF would be crowded (Joc/Yaz/Slater/Conforto) if they don’t send down at least one of Matos/Ramos..tbh, I think Matos a should get some reps back in Sac..dribblers down the left side of the infield is getting old..
I think Slater is nursing two injuries, his shoulder and hamstring, and that is why he is ice cold. It’s too bad because he was killing it against lefties earlier this season. Maybe he goes on the IL when/if Haniger returns?
nice observation, he slowed down over time on the lefties and a switch w/Haniger off the IL would be a perfect move..
Let’s go YAZ.
Matos is more advanced defensively than at the plate. Ramos looks like he added some muscle and has been tattooing the ball.
Owners are finding ways to get out of bad contracts. This, however, is not one (yet).
I hate when I collide with a left field ball while trying to catch a flyball
The San Diego Padres are less than the sum of their parts and won’t see .500 in 2023.
It’s weird no one is reporting this and weird you can’t comment on the Wander article in here…
Most outlets probably do not want to get sued. Anything can be said on Instagram and it is not exactly a trusted source. We’ll find out soon enough.
Pretty ridiculous that any random person can make an allegation on Twitter and have it be taken seriously.
It’s common on here. When the posts on a article get out of hand or insulting they will close them.
The comments on player discipline issues always get way out of hand, so there’s really no point in opening them in the first place.
They have to open them and let them get out of hand or the “freedom of speech absolutists” blow up every comment section complaining about it
Sad, but true. Not that it has anything to do with freedom of speech. It’s really all about complaining.
Cause it’s Baseball.
Mistake near the end collie with the left field wall*. Thanks for the update!
Glad to see some of the outfield making their way back for the giants. Yaz has had a really good season if you remove injury, hopefully he’s good to go for the rest of the season!
Collide* with ball supposed to be wall* I would assume. Sorry auto corrected.
Yea
Ok, Webb is a Front line Starter. I was Wrong.
I guess it can’t hurt putting Davies back in the rotation. It sucks we’re in that position.
I said, when Carson Kelly came back and started taking most of the reps behind home plate and people were complaining about the pitching and the team going in the wrong direction in terms of winning, “that there was a direct correlation between good catching and good pitching and that Kelly is not a good receiver and that in and of its self is a good portion of what was wrong with the pitching.”, a problem they did not have when Gabbi was behind the plate the majority of the time and I think Hazen”s comments share that same view.
Took Hazen too long to figure out what many of us knew long ago.
Yup. As a Blue Jays fan I wish the Blue Jays saw what Gabbi was and traded Jansen to someone and kept Moreno.
AZ D’Backs made another move that is to promote 21-year-old Jordan Lawler 10th ranked MLB prospect to AAA Reno yesterday. If I was Ahmed, I would see the writing on the wall with Kelly getting DFA, you might be next. If Lawler gets off to a good start with Reno, I can see a call up to the big show in September.
Lawler has started slow at every level except Inland Empire. He was fun to watch when he was here, but headed to Hillsboro quickly.
Since then, he’s started slow at every level, but eventually figured it out and improved.
Be nice if he did it quickly at Reno. Nice bat and speed to have in the lineup.
You’re an extra kind of special if you think they’re going to call up Lawler just to platoon him with perdomo I’m expecting Lawler will be on the move this off-season he’s got no def
If you’re posting this to me, nowhere did I say that I think they’re gonna call him up this season.
Now who’s the extra kind of special?
Also, if you really think that they’d move Lawlar, then I’m positive that you’re an extra kind of special.
Same thing was said before we traded Swanson less then a year after we drafted him 1st overall we have a logjam of position players perdomo has established that’s his position to lose we need pitching and also I was talking about the original post not yours when I said extra special
The White Sox should kick the tires on Carson Kelly. Zavala is on the DL, Grandal is on the way out (and reportedly a bad clubhouse presence on the South Side), and they don’t have much depth. Kelly was solid to good as recently as two years ago and is a Chicago native. They may as well give him a shot.
Kelly would be a nice add for Yanks. But since Cash traded for Rotorverd, won’t do anything. Ugh nothing worse than when a person starts listening to people who tell you are a genius.