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Astros Seeking Rotation Help, First Base Upgrade

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The Astros’ recent hot streak has positioned Houston as a clear buyer heading into the July 30 trade deadline. At 46-44 (including 13-4 over their past 17 games), they’re two games back of the division-leading Mariners and 3.5 back in the Wild Card hunt. Among their deadline targets, per the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, are at least one starting pitcher and an extra bat — ideally a first baseman. Heyman calls D-backs first baseman Christian Walker the Astros’ preferred target, though it’s not yet clear whether Arizona will sell any veterans heading into the deadline.

The 33-year-old Walker would be one of the most impactful bats on the market — if the Diamondbacks ultimately end up selling. That’s far from certain right now. Arizona is all but buried in the NL West, where the Dodgers hold a commanding 7.5-game lead over the second-place Padres and a 10-game lead over the D-backs themselves. The Snakes, however, are only two and a half games behind the Padres for the final National League Wild Card spot. They’re three and a half games back of the Cardinals, who hold the second Wild Card spot at the moment.

If the Diamondbacks were to fall out of the race, it stands to reason that Walker would at least be available. The slugging, slick-fielding first baseman is a clear qualifying offer candidate, so Arizona wouldn’t necessarily be obligated to move him, as Walker could net them a draft pick if he turns down a QO and signs elsewhere. But Walker is hitting .265/.337/.507 with 22 homers this season and carries a stout .253/.332/.491 slash with 91 homers in 1721 plate appearances dating back to Opening Day 2022. He’s won a Gold Glove in each of the past two seasons as well. That type of plus offense and defense would make him one of the most in-demand players on the summer trade market.

That’s especially true for an Astros club that has gotten virtually nothing out of its first basemen this season. Houston already released Jose Abreu midway through a three-year, $58.5MM contract — a move that underscores the team’s urgency to turn things around. Jon Singleton has batted just .243/.339/.366 in 233 plate appearances while playing poor defense. Houston’s need for an alternative option is clear, and the team is clearly reluctant to give outfield prospect Joey Loperfido any time at first base (at least in the majors).

As for the team’s rotation, that’s been an area of need for much of the season — though help could be on the horizon. The ’Stros lost both Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy to UCL surgery earlier this summer. JP France had shoulder surgery recently. They’ve seen both Justin Verlander (twice, including currently) and Framber Valdez require trips to the injured list. The only healthy starters on Houston’s roster at the moment are Valdez, Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown and rookie Spencer Arrighetti. Swingman Shawn Dubin made a start against the Twins recently but was hit hard.

The Astros are hoping to have Verlander back sooner than later, however, and righty Luis Garcia is on a rehab assignment right now as he finishes up his rehab from last May’s Tommy John procedure. Lance McCullers Jr. could join the staff in the season’s second half as well. Still, Houston starters rank 21st in MLB with a 4.37 ERA, and that includes some solid work out of Javier before his UCL injury.

Even if the Astros are planning to get some combination of Verlander, Garcia and McCullers back for the stretch run, it’s possible injuries and workload concerns further impact the situation. Blanco didn’t pitch in 2020, pitched just 45 innings in 2021, 51 innings in 2022 and 125 1/3 frames last year. He’s already at 96 innings pitched. Arrighetti is within 40 innings of the 124 2/3 frames he tossed a year ago. McCullers hasn’t pitched since 2022. Garcia tossed only 27 innings last year before surgery.

There’s good sense to Houston adding some depth and stability, even if it’s not necessarily a top-tier arm who’d slot into a theoretical playoff rotation. Doing so would lessen the reliance on currently injured arms in the season’s second half and safeguard against further injuries.

One factor to consider in any Astros trade scenarios is one of salary. General manager Dana Brown said early in the 2023-24 offseason that he didn’t expect to have much financial flexibility. Houston still spent over the winter, most notably on Josh Hader’s $95MM contract, but that only further raises the question of how much flexibility the team has this summer.

Per RosterResource, Houston is right at the $257MM threshold for the second tier of luxury tax penalization. There’s no major penalty for crossing into tier two — just a hike in the tax rate itself — and it’s unlikely the Astros would add another $20MM and push themselves up to the third tier of penalty (where their top pick in the ’25 draft would be pushed back 10 places). But Houston has only paid the luxury tax twice under owner Jim Crane, and the team has never trotted out a higher payroll than its current 2024 outlay. Time will tell how much Crane is willing to add, but it’s doubtful Brown and his group will be given a proverbial blank check when shopping this month.

Diamondbacks Select Yilber Diaz

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July 8: Arizona officially selected Diaz’s contract on Monday afternoon. The D-Backs optioned lefty reliever Joe Jacques to Triple-A in a corresponding active roster move. They already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster after releasing Tucker Barnhart, so that is now at capacity.

July 5: The Diamondbacks are “likely” to promote pitching prospect Yilber Diaz for his MLB debut next week, according to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. The right-hander would get the ball to start Monday night’s series opener against the Braves. Diaz is not on the 40-man roster, but the Diamondbacks currently have an open spot on the 40-man, so they would not need to make a corresponding move to select his contract.

Diaz made his professional debut for the D-backs organization in 2021. After pitching to a 4.17 ERA and 3.66 FIP in 14 starts at Double-A between 2023 and ’24, he earned a promotion to Triple-A this June. In four starts with the Reno Aces, he has a 3.27 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 22 innings of work. On the season, he has an impressive 33.2% strikeout rate in 15 outings between Double and Triple-A. The 23-year-old is averaging just over five innings per start.

Diaz is currently ranked as the #16 prospect in the Diamondbacks system, according to MLB Pipeline. Baseball America and Keith Law of the Athletic both had him at #15 on their preseason lists. Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice of FanGraphs were a little higher on Diaz, ranking him #6 and expressing more faith in both of his breaking balls (a slider and curve) to be potential plus pitches. Ultimately, however, all four sources agreed that the righty’s future is most likely in the bullpen. He throws a mid-90s fastball that can touch the high-90s; if his velocity were to tick up out of the ’pen, he could be a flame-throwing relief weapon.

Yet, for now, Diaz remains a starting pitcher, and he will take on the biggest test of his starting career on Monday. The Braves offense has struggled for much of the season, especially against right-handed pitching. Regardless, they’re going to be a far tougher opponent than a Triple-A club, and Diaz has hardly even faced much Triple-A opposition.

Although the rookie might benefit from a bit more seasoning in the minors, the Diamondbacks are a little desperate for starting pitching after Jordan Montgomery landed on the injured list last week. Rookie Cristian Mena made his MLB debut in Montgomery’s place on Wednesday, but the results were poor. He lasted only three innings, giving up four earned runs on four hits, three walks, and two home runs. Mena struck out just two of the 15 batters he faced, and he has already been optioned back to Triple-A. The only other healthy starting pitcher on Arizona’s 40-man roster who isn’t already in the rotation is Tommy Henry, who has a 7.04 ERA in 38 1/3 MLB innings this season.

Diamondbacks Release Tucker Barnhart

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The D-backs have released veteran catcher Tucker Barnhart following last week’s DFA, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. He’s now a free agent.

Barnhart, 33, signed a minor league deal with the Snakes back in January. He’s technically in the second season of a two-year, $6.5MM contract signed with the Cubs in the 2022-23 offseason. Chicago released him from that contract last August after he hit just .202/.285/.257 in 123 plate appearances. The Dodgers quickly scooped him up on a minor league deal but didn’t bring him to the majors before season’s end.

Things didn’t go much better for Barnhart in Arizona. He received a comparable number of plate appearances (96) but also posted comparable results: .173/.287/.210. Meanwhile, 27-year-old Jose Herrera posted a .260/.351/.362 batting line in Triple-A Reno this season, leading the D-backs to go with the younger switch-hitting Herrera as the preferred backup to Gabriel Moreno.

Barnhart was a regular with the Reds from 2015-21 and for a few years graded as one of baseball’s premier defensive catchers. The two-time Gold Glove winner has never been a strong offensive performer, but his bat has dwindled to the point where the benefit from his glove is no longer a a clearly worthwhile trade-off. Barnhart batted .249/.327/.380 during that lengthy run with the Reds but has produced a .208/.286/.255 slash in 527 plate appearances between three teams (Tigers, Cubs, D-backs) since leaving Cincinnati.

Any team seeking catching depth can now sign Barnhart with virtually no risk. He’d only be owed the prorated league minimum for any time spent on a new team’s major league roster/injured list. The Cubs are on the hook for the remainder of this year’s $3.25MM salary.

NL West Injury Notes: Heyward, Outman, Campusano, Marte

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The Dodgers placed Jason Heyward on the 10-day injured list prior to yesterday’s game, as an MRI revealed that the veteran outfielder is dealing with a left knee bone bruise.  Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) that no structural damage was found in Heyward’s knee, so the IL stint might not be too lengthy.  This is the second IL visit of the season for Heyward, who already missed about six weeks due to back tightness.  Heyward has hit .203/.299/.398 over 137 plate appearances, which translates to exactly league-average (100 wRC+) offense while almost exclusively facing right-handed pitching, plus Heyward has contributed his usual strong defense as a regular right fielder and part-time center fielder.

James Outman was called up from Triple-A to take Heyward’s spot on the roster and his overall role in the Los Angeles outfield mix.  After finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting last season, Outman got off to such a cold start (.516 OPS in 124 PA) that the Dodgers optioned him to Triple-A in mid-May.  With the caveat that the Pacific Coast League is very hitter-friendly, Outman has hit .279/.393/.531 with nine homers in 179 PA with Triple-A Oklahoma City, providing some hope that he has gotten himself back on track.  A resurgent Outman would be a big boost for the Dodgers, and if Outman is productive and Heyward doesn’t miss much time, this internal help might factor into whatever plans the club has about adding outfield help at the deadline.

More health news from around the NL West…

  • The Padres activated catcher Luis Campusano from the 10-day IL prior to yesterday’s game, and optioned infielder Eguy Rosario to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  A left thumb contusion sent Campusano to the IL on June 21, and as expected at the time of the placement, Campusano didn’t miss much beyond the 10-day minimum.  The catcher has hit an underwhelming .234/.282/.371 over 220 PA and defensive metrics have painted a rough picture of his glovework, even though Campusano remains in line for the majority of playing time over Kyle Higashioka.
  • Ketel Marte is day-to-day with back tightness, as the Diamondbacks announced after the second baseman made an early exit from yesterday’s 10-8 loss to the Padres.  Manager Torey Lovullo explained to reporters (including MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert) that Marte has been bothered by his back for a few days, and still played eight innings on Friday before requiring a pinch-hitter in the ninth.  The 43-45 D’Backs can only hope that Marte’s back problem doesn’t continue to linger, as the star second baseman has been a big reason why Arizona continues to linger in the wild card race.  Marte is hitting .284/.353/.506 with 17 home runs over 380 PA, and while fans recognized this performance by voting Marte into the NL’s starting lineup for the All-Star Game, this back problem might also raise concerns that he could miss the Midsummer Classic.

D-Backs Recall Cristian Mena For MLB Debut

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The Diamondbacks recalled right-hander Cristian Mena to start tonight’s game with the Dodgers. Arizona optioned reliever Gavin Hollowell to Triple-A Reno to create an active roster spot.

Mena is already on the 40-man roster. The White Sox selected his contract before last winter’s Rule 5 draft. Chicago traded Mena, one of their more talented pitching prospects, to take a flier on young outfielder Dominic Fletcher. Arizona optioned him out of Spring Training. Mena had spent the entire season in Reno, tossing 82 2/3 innings across 16 starts.

The surface results aren’t especially impressive. Mena owns a 4.90 earned run average. His 24.4% strikeout percentage is solid, but he has walked 10.4% of opponents. Mena has allowed 1.63 home runs per nine innings despite a decent 47% grounder rate. The home runs are likely a product of the extreme hitter-friendly nature of the Pacific Coast League.

Mena is one of the younger pitchers in Triple-A. He turned 21 last December. Baseball America ranked him 14th in the Arizona system over the winter, crediting him with a well-rounded arsenal headlined by a plus curveball. Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Mena ninth among D-Backs prospects in February with similar praise for his breaking ball. Both outlets suggest he could stick as a back-of-the-rotation starter so long as he continues to develop as a strike-thrower.

Diamondbacks Place Jordan Montgomery On Injured List

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The D-Backs shook a few things up in advance of their series with the Dodgers. Arizona reinstated catcher Gabriel Moreno from the 10-day injured list and designated backup Tucker Barnhart for assignment. (Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported those forthcoming moves over the weekend.)  The Snakes placed starter Jordan Montgomery on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 29, on account of right knee inflammation. Arizona also optioned young infielder Blaze Alexander to Triple-A Reno. Center fielder Alek Thomas is back from the 10-day IL, while the D-Backs recalled righty Gavin Hollowell to take a spot in the bullpen.

Montgomery has had a nightmarish season. The veteran southpaw agreed to terms on a $25MM pillow contract just before Opening Day. As with fellow late signee Blake Snell, he has had significant struggles with that abbreviated ramp-up. Montgomery agreed to head to Reno for a few starts as a tune-up. He was recalled in mid-April but hasn’t found anything close to his typical form.

Over 13 starts, Montgomery carries a 6.03 ERA in 65 2/3 innings. He’s striking out a well below-average 15.1% of opposing hitters. Montgomery had punched out more than 21% of batters faced in each of the previous three seasons. He allowed fewer than four earned runs per nine in each year while combining for a 3.48 ERA over 94 starts. The average velocity on his sinker is down from its customary 93 MPH range to 91.7 MPH.

It’s impossible to know how much of Montgomery’s struggles are attributable to the unconventional start to the season. It seems fair to presume that has played some role. Whatever the primary cause, Montgomery hasn’t provided anything close to the kind of production Arizona envisioned. The D-Backs hoped he’d step in as a mid-rotation replacement after Eduardo Rodriguez suffered a Spring Training lat strain. Instead, he’s been arguably the weakest point in a starting staff that remains the team’s biggest question mark.

Arizona recently welcomed Zac Gallen back from the injured list. They’re still without Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly. Righty Brandon Pfaadt has been solid, but the D-Backs haven’t gotten much out of Slade Cecconi and Ryne Nelson. They’ll need to find a fifth starter this week, as Arizona doesn’t have another off day until the All-Star Break. That might be righty Cristian Mena. Alex Weiner of AZ Sports tweets that Mena is with the big league club in Los Angeles, though he’s not yet on the roster. Acquired from the White Sox for Dominic Fletcher over the winter, the 21-year-old Mena has a 4.90 ERA with a 24.4% strikeout rate in 16 Triple-A starts. Joe Mantiply will kick off a bullpen game tonight; Montgomery had been slated to start tomorrow’s contest.

On the position player side, Moreno and Thomas draw back into the lineup. The former had a minimal IL stay with a thumb sprain. He’ll return to his role as the primary catcher. Barnhart’s DFA means the D-Backs will stick with José Herrera in the #2 catching role. Thomas has missed the bulk of the season because of a hamstring strain. He played in only four games before going down. That pushed Corbin Carroll into center field. Carroll should move back to right field, which could cut into the playing time for Jake McCarthy and Randal Grichuk.

It pushes Alexander off the MLB roster for the time being. The 25-year-old logged a good chunk of playing time at shortstop while Geraldo Perdomo was on the shelf. Upon Perdomo’s return, manager Torey Lovullo suggested he’d get Alexander more playing time at third base while cutting into Eugenio Suárez’s workload. Alexander got regular run for about two weeks but fell into a slump, hitting .138 without an extra-base knock in 33 plate appearances. Suárez has started five of the past six games at the hot corner. With Kevin Newman playing reasonably well as a utility option who cannot be optioned, the D-Backs send Alexander back to Reno for more consistent playing time.

Mike Hazen Discusses D-Backs’ Deadline

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The majority of the National League is tightly bunched in the middle of the standings. The defending pennant winners are right among that group, carrying a 41-43 record that has them two and a half games back of the Cardinals for the final Wild Card spot. The Mets are a half-game ahead of Arizona as the NL’s top non-playoff team, while another five clubs sit fewer than three games behind them.

As with most of those borderline contenders, Arizona’s deadline approach is going to be heavily determined by how they play over the next four weeks. General manager Mike Hazen made that clear in a chat with reporters this afternoon, saying he’s hopeful that the team puts itself in a position to add before July 30.

“My desire is for us to be in a position to buy at the deadline and improve this team to push to the playoffs,” Hazen said (link via Steve Gilbert of MLB.com). “It’s obviously been a struggle here for the first half of the season. We haven’t played consistent enough.” The GM qualified that some of that underperformance is attributable to injuries (especially on the pitching staff), but he also noted that the lineup hasn’t been as consistent as he believes it to be capable of.

The offense has been solid but not overwhelming. The D-Backs rank ninth in the majors in scoring. They’re hitting .250/.321/.398 as a team. Arizona is in the back half of the top 10 in both batting average and on-base percentage and sits 14th in slugging. Ketel Marte, Christian Walker and Joc Pederson have driven most of that offense. Jake McCarthy and Randal Grichuk have been solid, while Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has rebounded from a rough May with an excellent performance over the past few weeks.

That said, it’s easy to understand why Hazen feels there’s untapped upside. Corbin Carroll picked things up in June after a terrible first couple months, but he still hasn’t played to the massive potential he showed as a rookie. Arizona was without shortstop Geraldo Perdomo for a few weeks, pressing Kevin Newman into action there. Third baseman Eugenio Suárez hasn’t played up to expectations after coming over from the Mariners in an offseason trade.

A good but not great performance from the lineup hasn’t been enough to overcome a rotation that has the fourth-worst ERA in the majors. That’s largely because the group hasn’t been at full strength. Eduardo Rodriguez still hasn’t made his team debut after sustaining a Spring Training lat strain. Zac Gallen missed a month because of a hamstring strain before returning over the weekend. Merrill Kelly will be out into August thanks to a mid-April shoulder injury.

Any team would have a hard time weathering the loss of arguably its three best starting pitchers. The problems can’t be entirely chalked up to injury though. Signing Jordan Montgomery just before Opening Day hasn’t worked out, as the southpaw has allowed 6.03 earned runs per nine across 13 starts. Arizona’s lack of upper minors rotation depth has again been exposed with Ryne Nelson, Slade Cecconi and Tommy Henry all getting hit hard. Presumptive fourth starter Brandon Pfaadt has been the only consistent presence, working to a 4.28 ERA over a team-leading 103 innings.

The D-Backs invested heavily over the offseason on the heels of their surprising run to the World Series. They brought back Gurriel and added Rodriguez, Montgomery and Pederson. They’d clearly prefer to make another playoff push rather than move veteran pieces. Should they remain within a team or two of the final postseason spot, they’d be positioned to do that. Things would become more questionable if the Snakes stumble this month and are jumped by a few of the teams that are narrowly behind them at the moment.

“It’s going to be where are we down relative to how many teams are above us,” Hazen said of deciding whether to buy or sell. “Like last year, as we slipped down around the deadline, I think we got to like two or three out and we had two or three teams above us. That’s a dynamic you can overcome. If you start getting too far down and buried behind and needing three, four or five teams to lose and you win, that’s not a good spot to be in. I think if we have a glimmer of where it’s at, my gut will be to continue to add to this team.”

If they’re in position to buy, strengthening the pitching staff would probably be the priority for a second straight summer. The D-Backs are hopeful of Rodriguez and Kelly contributing in the second half, though both pitchers will be coming off extended absences. Even if they’re each healthy and join Gallen and Pfaadt in the rotation, the front office could look for an upgrade over Montgomery. The D-Backs came up empty in their search for rotation help at last year’s deadline. Without a reliable fourth starter during their playoff run, Hazen conceded in October that he regretted not landing rotation help.

The front office did pull off one major pitching acquisition at the ’23 deadline, landing Paul Sewald to lock down the ninth inning. Sewald is again pitching well. Like virtually every contender, Arizona could try to deepen the middle relief group in front of their veteran closer and the setup trio of Justin Martinez, Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson. Bringing in another left-hander to nudge Joe Mantiply down the leverage hierarchy would be ideal.

Diamondbacks To Designate Tucker Barnhart For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks are designating catcher Tucker Barnhart for assignment, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Piecoro indicates that the move will clear space on the club’s roster for Gabriel Moreno to be activated from the injured list prior to the club’s next game against the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Barnhart, 33, made Arizona’s Opening Day roster as the primary backup to Moreno over Jose Herrera. The veteran has struggled mightily this year, however, slashing just .165/.283/.190 in 94 trips to the plate with the Snakes this season. That line includes a surprisingly strong 13.8% walk rate, but those decent on-base skills are outweighed by his massive 33% strikeout rate and complete lack of power (as evidenced by an ISO of just .025). When Moreno went on the IL with a sprained thumb, Herrera was called up to the big leagues to join Barnhart in the catching tandem, and evidently the club has decided that they’d prefer to leave the 27-year-old in the backup role once Moreno returns from the injured list on Tuesday.

The veteran backstop has struggled to be productive at the plate throughout the majority of his career, as evidenced by a career 78 wRC+ and a 68 wRC+ over the past five seasons. Barnhart has generally made up for that lack of offensive production with a strong glove behind the plate, even winning two Gold Glove awards during his tenure with the Reds. That aspect of his game has dried up in recent years, however. After regressing defensively during his time with the Cubs last year, Barnhart was below average by all three of Statcast’s defensive metrics for catchers: Blocks Above Average, CS Above Average, and Framing. Given that reality, it’s easy to see why Arizona would turn to Herrera, who is similarly limited on offense but appears to be a superior defender as compared to Barnhart at this stage of his career.

Taking Barnhart’s place on the roster will be Moreno, who last suited up for the Dbacks on June 21 and has been nursing a thumb sprain since then. The 24-year-old youngster is in his second season with Arizona after coming over alongside Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the Daulton Varsho trade during the 2022-23 offseason. Moreno has performed solidly behind the plate in 172 games with the Diamondbacks, slashing .265/.330/.385 with a roughly league average 97 wRC+ and strong grades for his defense at catcher.

Once Barnhart’s DFA becomes official, the Diamondbacks will have seven days to either work out a trade involving the veteran or attempt to pass him through waivers. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, Arizona could attempt to outright him to the minor leagues as a non-roster depth option, but the 11-year MLB veteran has more than enough service time to reject such an assignment and test free agency.

Diamondbacks Reinstate Zac Gallen From 15-Day Injured List

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As expected, the Diamondbacks reinstated Zac Gallen from the 15-day injured list today, as Gallen prepares to start Arizona’s game against the Athletics.  Left-hander Brandon Hughes was optioned to Triple-A yesterday to open up a roster spot for Gallen’s return.

Gallen suffered a right hamstring strain just six pitches into a start on May 30, so he’ll now return to action after almost exactly a month off.  The rehab process went pretty smoothly for the ace right-hander, as he didn’t even make any minor league rehab starts during his recovery.  Gallen instead tossed live batting practice sessions, simulated games, and bullpens to ramp up and get ready, and a 67-pitch sim game last Monday was essentially the final step of the process.  Once Gallen came out of a Thursday bullpen session feeling good, the D’Backs finalized their plans to start Gallen today against Oakland.

Needless to say, getting Gallen back after just a month is a sigh of relief for the Diamondbacks, considering how injuries have plagued Arizona’s rotation.  Eduardo Rodriguez signed a four-year, $80MM free agent deal over the offseason but has yet to pitch after suffering a lat strain during Spring Training, and Merrill Kelly will be out until at least mid-August due to a teres major strain in his throwing shoulder.  Jordan Montgomery’s late signing and subsequent late start to the season has also led to some inconsistent results for the left-hander, and between some other struggles for the younger starters, Arizona ranks only 27th of 30 teams in rotation ERA this season.

Gallen was again a bright light for the rotation, with a 3.12 ERA in his first 11 starts and 57 2/3 innings before his hamstring strain.  Missing a month could hurt Gallen’s chances of his third straight top-five finish in NL Cy Young Award voting, yet helping get the Diamondbacks into contention again is surely the chief priority in Gallen’s mind.  Despite the starting pitching concerns and a 39-43 record, the D’Backs are 3.5 games back of the last NL wild card spot, so getting even average results from the rotation could put Arizona more firmly in position for a second-half surge.

In other news about Rodriguez, manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com and other media that the left-hander will undergo an MRI in a week to ensure that everything is progressing as expected with his lat muscle.  Rodriguez has been throwing at distances of 105 feet, but if the MRI is clean, he’ll start a more intensive throwing program.

Merrill Kelly Aiming For Mid-August Return

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Merrill Kelly had a stellar 2.19 ERA over his first four starts of the season before a teres major strain in his throwing shoulder sent him to the Diamondbacks’ injured list on April 20.  Kelly was soon moved from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL, and now that his 60-day window has passed, it will be quite a while before the right-hander is back on the mound.

Speaking at a Q&A event with fans and media (including Jake Oliver of Inside The Diamondbacks), Kelly said that “in my mind, I’m hoping I’m on that Tampa, Miami, Boston trip,” referring to a nine-game Diamondbacks road trip that starts on August 16.  “That seems to be around the right time I might be back in there, but obviously, things can change as we go along.”

There is still a lot of fluidity within this rehab plan, and the fact that Kelly’s initial estimated return date has already been significantly pushed back isn’t a great sign.  As Kelly noted, he and the team first thought he could be back around the All-Star break — if mid-August now represents perhaps something of a best-case scenario, any kind of setback could quite possibly put his season in jeopardy.  There is still a long way to go in Kelly’s ramp-up process, as he only just started a throwing program with games of catch.

The D’Backs have a modest 38-40 record in the defense of their National League pennant, yet the NL’s parity has kept Arizona within two games of the last wild card spot.  Considering that the Snakes have been without Kelly for most of the season, Eduardo Rodriguez for the entire season, and Zac Gallen for a little more than three weeks, a 38-40 record isn’t a bad result for a team missing its three top starters.

Gallen could potentially return next week, and Rodriguez has started his own throwing progression after his long layoff, so he might be facing a similar timeline as Kelly.  If Arizona can continue to at least tread water in the playoff race until mid-August, getting Kelly and Rodriguez back into the rotation would provide an enormous boost down the stretch.

Kelly also discussed his longer-term career future as part of the Q&A, saying “I’d love to be a Diamondback my whole career and especially being the Arizona native, I would love to stay here as long as I can.”  Kelly also revealed that he had spoken with the Diamondbacks about a possible contract extension, saying “I keep trying to sign and keep trying to talk them into signing me some more,” though he didn’t give any details on the status of those talks or if the D’Backs had shown any reciprocal interest.

It would be understandable if the D’Backs first wanted to see how Kelly emerge from this long injury layoff before considering a new contract, plus Kelly is already under team control for the 2025 season via a $7MM club option.  Since a $1MM buyout is attached to that option, that the $6MM decision seems like a pretty easy one for the Diamondbacks to make even despite Kelly’s shoulder problems, considering how well he has pitched over his six seasons in Arizona.

Kelly didn’t make his MLB debut until he was 30 years old, as he started his pro career in the Rays’ farm system before pitching in South Korea for four seasons.  Impressed by Kelly’s KBO League performance, the D’Backs signed him to a two-year, $5.5MM free agent deal in December 2018, in a decision that will go down as one of GM Mike Hazen’s shrewdest moves.  Kelly has already signed one extension with the Diamondbacks, agreeing to his current two-year, $18MM contract in April 2022.

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