The Diamondbacks will recall Brandon Pfaadt to start tomorrow’s game against the Giants, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports). The Snakes have been operating with a nine-man bullpen and will need to option a pitcher to create space on the active roster.
Pfaadt will presumably rejoin the rotation for the first time since April. He opened the season in the starting five while Merrill Kelly was on the injured list. Pfaadt was hit hard in two of his first three starts and moved to the bullpen once Kelly returned. Michael Soroka, expected to pitch in long relief, had outperformed Pfaadt in the early going.
The D-Backs rolled with a rotation comprising Kelly, Zac Gallen, Eduardo Rodriguez, Soroka and Ryne Nelson for a while. Pfaadt spent six weeks in the bullpen before Arizona optioned him to Triple-A to begin building back up as a starter. It wasn’t long after that Soroka and Nelson went down to injuries in rapid succession. Soroka (left glute strain) could be back by late July, but Nelson has a partial flexor tear and will probably be down into September.
Rookie right-hander Jose Cabrera has taken one of those vacated rotation spots. Southpaw Mitch Bratt made a spot start in his MLB debut last week. Bratt had just returned from an injury in the minors and was on a pitch limit, so he only went three innings. The D-Backs optioned him out the next day.
Pfaadt wasn’t ready to reclaim a rotation spot at that point. He still hasn’t completed four full innings over three starts at Triple-A Reno. The righty has pitched pretty well in his minor league tune-up, though, working 10 innings of three-run ball with seven strikeouts and two walks. He has an earned run average close to 6.00 across 38 big league frames this season.
The Diamondbacks took tonight’s series opener behind another strong start from Rodriguez. (They’re now 7-0 against the Giants this season.) They pulled back to 42-42 after a weekend sweep by the Rays had dropped them below .500 for the first time in six weeks. Arizona is 2.5 games out in a crowded NL Wild Card picture. General manager Mike Hazen has said they’re hoping to buy, pointing to a left-handed bat and relief help as likely targets. In early June, Hazen downplayed the need to add a starter, but that preceded the Nelson and Soroka injuries.
