On Tuesday, the Arizona Diamondbacks started their five-game homestand off right, blanking the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers 6-0. Arizona entered the game with a narrow 1.5-game lead over the New York Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot but also trailing the San Diego Padres by only half a game for the top spot. Following wins by the Padres and Atlanta Braves and a loss by the Mets, the Diamondbacks finished last night two games up in the second wild card position.
The D-Backs and Rangers will run it back on Wednesday afternoon to conclude the two-game World Series rematch, with the NL West club still without Gold Glove Award-winning catcher Gabriel Moreno and All-Star outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Before Tuesday’s tilt, manager Torey Lovullo gave an update on the duo as the final week of the regular season rapidly approaches.
Arizona Diamondbacks Catcher Gabriel Moreno Running Near ‘100 Percent’
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In an early August matchup against the Cleveland Guardians, Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno went down after legging out an infield single. Arizona diagnosed Moreno with an adductor strain, placing him on the 10-day injured list while being ticketed for an extended absence. Moreno sat on the shelf idle for most of the month before taking swings in the batting cage during the last week of August. On Tuesday, manager Torey Lovullo announced Moreno is running the bases at “80 percent” and will catch a bullpen session on Wednesday.
Arizona called up minor league star Adrian Del Castillo from Triple-A Reno in his absence. Del Castillo has been nothing short of a spark to the Arizona offense, posting a .797 OPS in 22 games. Meanwhile, backstop Jose Herrera has done a passable job with the added starts. Unfortunately, neither has come near to replicating Moreno’s talents behind the dish. Herra owns a 5% caught-stealing rate, while Del Castillo sits at 4%. Meanwhile, Moreno holds a 31% caught-stealing rate in 2024.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Ramping Up Activity
Although the injury news regarding Gabriel Moreno is primarily encouraging, the same can’t be said about outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Manager Torey Lovullo announced on Tuesday that Gurriel Jr. will not return from the 10-day IL when first eligible. In early September, the 2023 All-Star suffered a groin injury in a blowout win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he has joined Moreno in hitting the Trajekt pitching machine and will begin a running assignment on Thursday.
Fellow outfielder Pavin Smith has slotted into Gurriel’s usual spot, finding much success recently. On Sunday, Smith went 3-of-4 with three home runs and eight RBI. Smith is having a career season, slashing .269/.340/.559.
Diamondbacks Other Notable Injuries
Outside the starting tandem of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno, the Arizona Diamondbacks have a handful of other players on the mend. The expectation remains that pitchers Bryce Jarvis, Kyle Nelson, and Drey Jameson will not return to the mound this season but will be ready for the 2025 Spring Training opener.
Outfielder Alek Thomas and infielder Jordan Lawler, both part of last season’s team that made a deep push into the postseason, could play in late September. Thomas suffered an oblique injury in Triple-A Reno late last month but could return as soon as next week. As for Lawler, manager Torey Lovullo is hopeful he will return this season after appearing in only 13 games.
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