The Arizona Diamondbacks are running thin on pitchers heading into their matchup against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night in Phoenix.
Before the Diamondbacks beat the Twins 9-5 in the opener of their three-game series on Friday night, the team announced that Ryne Nelson has a strained flexor tendon in his pitching elbow and will be shut down for three to four weeks.
Then the game began, and right-hander Michael Soroka departed before the start of the second inning with left hip discomfort.
Corbin Burnes underwent Tommy John surgery one year and was due back in July. That has been pushed back to September, if he pitches at all this season, because of a teres major strain impacting his throwing shoulder.
Veteran reliever A.J. Puk also remains out after Tommy John surgery.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo was asked about the rash of injuries to his pitchers, particularly the starts, before the Friday game.
“I think it’s been happening all over Major League Baseball,” he said. “These guys are throwing the ball extremely hard. Their elbows — new elbows — are fortified with bracing, not just new ligaments. … Being able to create more torque will put more stress on other parts of your body, particularly the shoulder.”
Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen is set to start on Saturday and he’ll be aiming to gobble some innings after seven Arizona relievers were used Friday.
Gallen (3-5, 5.35 ERA) is winless this month, going 0-1 in three starts so far with a 6.06 ERA. He pitched well enough to win his last outing, giving up three runs and six hits in six innings of a 5-3 win against the Cincinnati Reds last Sunday, but did not receive a decision after leaving with the score tied 3-3.
Gallen has surpassed Brandon Webb for second place on Arizona’s all-time strikeout list. He now sits at 1,110 strikeouts with the Diamondbacks, trailing only Randy Johnson (2,077)
“I honestly didn’t know how close I was,” Gallen said of passing Webb. “I knew at some point [I would], but I just wasn’t really keeping track. I mean it’s great. Webb, he’s an all-timer, so to kind of pass him, it’s been fun to see my name get up there every time. We joke about who’s in first. I think I [need] to play like 20 more years and see if I can get first place, but yeah [second place] is a nice honor for sure.”
Gallen has made two starts against the Twins in his career and is 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA.
Taj Bradley is scheduled to start for the Twins on Saturday.
Bradley (5-3, 4.14) is also without a win this month, going 0-2 in three starts with a 7.47 ERA.
He most recently allowed four runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 5-4 win against the St. Louis Cardinals last Sunday. Minnesota saved him from a third straight loss when it scored three runs in its final two at-bats. He did not figure into the decision.
He pitched into the seventh inning for the first time since April 29.
“The stuff was electric today. The split was back. We didn’t see the arm side misses that we’ve seen before. I give him a ton of credit,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said after the game against the Cardinals. “I think he simplified it back down and I think we saw the guy that we really like tonight.”
Bradley has made two starts against Arizona in his career and he’s 0-1 in those games with a 9.00 ERA.
-Field Level Media
