Diamondbacks' Alek Thomas: Plays back-to-back days
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Thomas (hamstring) started in center field and played seven innings for Triple-A Reno on Wednesday.
Thomas played in the field on back-to-back days, bolstering the Diamondbacks' hopes of having him rejoin the parent club this weekend against the Athletics. Per Arizona assistant general manager Mike Fitzgerald, the outfielder will play Friday and Saturday for the Aces. After that, he could return to the Diamondbacks. Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports. Thomas is 1-for-7 in two games at Reno and 8-for-20 overall on the current rehab assignment, including a stint at the Arizona Complex League.
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Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: Saturday start being discussed
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Gallen (hamstring) could start Saturday against Oakland if Thursday's bullpen session goes well, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.
Thursday's bullpen session will the second one thrown by Gallen, who also has a couple of simulated games under his belt during rehab. The right-hander hasn't thrown in game conditions since May 30, when he threw just six pitches before being removed.
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Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: IL stay to be minimal
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Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Wednesday the club is looking for Moreno (thumb) to return after a minimum stay on the 10-day injured list, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports. He's eligible to return next Tuesday.
Moreno, who has been hitting off a tee and playing catch, will begin ramping up Thursday. That's when he'll catch a bullpen session thrown by injured ace Zac Gallen (hamstring). After that, the catcher is scheduled for a game in the Arizona Complex League over the weekend, setting up a potential return Tuesday, when the club kicks off a three-game set on the road against the Dodgers.
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Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Crushed for six runs
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Nelson (5-6) was charged with the loss against Minnesota on Wednesday, allowing six runs on 10 hits over 3.2 innings while striking out three.
After pitching a scoreless first inning, Nelson went on to get tagged for runs in each of the next three frames before being relieved by Scott McGough with two outs in the fourth. The second inning was especially disastrous for the 26 year old when he failed to retire either of the first four batters he faced and also beaned Byron Buxton and Willi Castro with pitches. Nelson has now allowed at least five runs in two of his last four starts, while Wednesday marked the first time he's given up 10 or more hits since May 17 against Detroit.
Diamondbacks' Alek Thomas: Could rejoin team this weekend
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Thomas (hamstring) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Reno on Tuesday and could rejoin the Diamondbacks this weekend, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Thomas began what is expected to be the final stage of his rehab assignment, playing seven innings in center field while going 1-for-3 with an RBI for Reno. The outfielder has 18 plate appearances thus far on rehab, with most of those coming in the Arizona Complex League. He could get more looks against advanced pitching while with the Aces over the next two days before potentially rejoining Arizona on Friday in time for the weekend series against the Athletics.
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Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: Throws sim game
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Gallen (hamstring) threw 67 pitches in a simulated game Monday and will next have a bullpen session Thursday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
The Diamondbacks were preparing for Gallen to throw Monday, whether in a sim game or live batting practice, and decided on the sim game. He next heads to Chase Field on Thursday for a bullpen session, which will be caught by Gabriel Moreno, who is nursing a sprained left thumb. If all goes well Thursday, then Gallen could return during Arizona's series against Oakland that begins Friday.
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Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte: Key role in win
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Marte went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Twins.
Marte's homer opened the scoring in the first inning and he added a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh to put the Diamondbacks ahead for good. The second baseman had gone just 2-for-16 over his previous four contests before this multi-hit effort. He's been a big contributor throughout the campaign with a .280/.340/.507 slash line, 16 homers, 46 RBI, 51 runs scored and three stolen bases across 76 games.
Sewald allowed a hit in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Twins.
Sewald needed 17 pitches (nine strikes) to close out this contest, earning his 10th save in as many chances this year. He's on a 13.2-inning scoreless streak -- the only run he's allowed this year came in his season debut after he started the year on the injured list. Sewald has maintained a stellar 0.61 ERA, 0.55 WHIP and 12:3 K:BB over 14.2 innings this season.
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Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt: Ends up with no-decision
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Pfaadt allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two over 6.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Twins on Tuesday.
Pfaadt pitched into the seventh inning for the second start in a row, but it resulted in him giving up a three-run home run to Ryan Jeffers that tied the game at 4-4. Arizona got the lead back in its half of the frame, but Pfaadt was already out of the game, leaving the win to reliever Kevin Ginkel. Through five starts in June, Pfaadt has allowed 17 runs over 30 innings with a 23:12 K:BB. He's now at a 4.45 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 86:24 K:BB through 97 innings across 16 starts this season. The right-hander is lined up to make his next start at home in a favorable matchup versus the Athletics.
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Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Catching bullpen session
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Moreno (thumb) will catch Zac Gallen's (hamstring) bullpen session Thursday, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.
A sprained left thumb forced Moreno onto the injured list Saturday, and Wednesday's bullpen session will allow him to get a feel for how his thumb feels in his glove after a few days of recovery. Assuming all goes well, there is a strong possibility that the 24-year-old backstop will be able to return from the injured list when eligible next Tuesday.
Kelly (shoulder) said Friday that he's eyeing the Diamondbacks' mid-August road trip as a target for his return from the 60-day injured list, Jake Oliver of SI.com reports. "Originally we thought it was kind of All-Star break but with how the progression lines up, it's probably a little bit later than that," Kelly said, when asked about his return timeline. "In my mind, I'm hoping I'm on that Tampa, Miami, and Boston trip. I've wanted to go on that trip all year and that seems to be around the right time that I'm back in there but obviously, things can change as we go along."
The three-city road trip that Kelly alluded to begins Aug. 16 in Tampa and wraps up Aug. 25, so the right-hander has shifted his focus toward returning roughly a month after the All-Star break. Placed on the IL on April 23 with a right shoulder strain, Kelly has had a slow recovery thus far from what he said is the first soft-tissue injury he's dealt with during his 15-year professional career. On a positive note, Kelly reiterated that he's continuing to throw, but he remains limited to playing catch off flat ground from 75 feet and hasn't stepped back on the mound since landing on the shelf. With Kelly suggesting that his return is still likely another two months away, fantasy managers in redraft leagues with limited IL spots who have been stashing him during his prolonged absence may be best served cutting bait at this point.
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Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel: Logs fifth straight multi-hit game
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Gurriel went 2-for-4 in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Phillies.
Gurriel returned to action after sitting out Saturday with minor elbow soreness. Sunday's two-hit outing gives the outfielder five consecutive games with multiple hits. He's 10-for-21 (.476) with nine singles and one home run during that stretch.
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Diamondbacks' Alek Thomas: Headed for Triple-A Reno
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Thomas (hamstring) will take live batting practice Monday then head to Triple-A Reno to continue a rehab assignment, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Thomas will be the hitter in a live BP session thrown by Zac Gallen (hamstring). Thomas' rehab assignment was paused the middle of last week then resumed over the weekend; he had six combined at-bats over two games in the Arizona Complex League and played seven innings in center field Saturday. He said the hamstring responded well to the activity, and the Diamondbacks decided to move his rehab to its Triple-A affiliate.
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Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: Throwing live BP on Monday
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Gallen (hamstring) is slated to throw a live batting practice session Monday, MLB.com reports.
Gallen threw 52 pitches in a previous simulated game this past Tuesday, so he'll likely increase his workload a bit in Monday's throwing session. If all goes well, the right-hander will likely be activated from the 15-day injured list during the Diamondbacks' series against Oakland that begins Friday. Gallen has been on the shelf since May 30 with a right hamstring strain.
Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Pulled after three innings
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Cecconi (2-6) suffered the loss Sunday, allowing one run on five hits over three innings against the Phillies. He struck out two.
Cecconi completed three innings and was pulled after tossing just 46 pitches, having allowed one earned run. He had tossed at least 70 pitches in each of his previous nine starts, but after allowing five hits and facing 11 batters during the second and third innings and with a morning game-time temperature of 91 degrees, manager Torey Lovullo decided to pull the plug early on Cecconi's outing. Cecconi was coming off a performance on Tuesday in which he tossed six scoreless against the Nationals. His next start is scheduled to come in a much softer matchup next weekend as the Diamondbacks play host to Oakland.
