The Diamondbacks announced that outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right adductor. Catcher Adrian Del Castillo was called up to take Gurriel’s spot on the active roster. Arizona also filled the open spot on its 40-man roster by selecting the contract of Gerardo Carrillo, and then optioning the right-hander to Triple-A.
It’s the third injury absence of the year for Gurriel, who began the season on the 10-day IL while he was recovering from the torn ACL he sustained last September. Gurriel made his season debut by April 18 but a left hamstring strain sent him back to the sidelines from May 23 until mid-June. He’ll now head back to the IL again with an injury that must’ve occurred in Friday’s game, when Gurriel went 0-for-3 with a sac fly in the Diamondbacks’ 5-4 loss to the Cardinals.
Between the injuries and a lack of production, it has been a miserable year for the veteran, and it is worth wondering if Gurriel might’ve simply come back too soon from his ACL tear. Gurriel has been a sub-replacement player, as his 48 wRC+ (from a .207/.254/.387 slash line in 189 PA) has led to a -0.9 fWAR over his 47 games played.
As unproductive as Gurriel has been, his absence thins out a D’Backs outfield group that has been lacking all year outside of Corbin Carroll. Jordan Lawlar has been limited to 12 games due to a broken wrist and a hamstring strain, and Tommy Troy was also placed on the injured list over the All-Star break. This leaves some combination of Max Kepler, Ryan Waldschmidt, Jorge Barrosa, and utilityman Tim Tawa handing duties in left and center field, so Arizona is even more likely to target outfield help at the deadline if and when the club looks to buy.
Carrillo likely had an out clause in his minor league contract that led to his 40-man roster placement, and he’ll now stay in the organization and continue on at Triple-A Reno. A veteran of eight minor league seasons, Carrillo has pitched in the farm systems of the Dodgers, Nationals, and Rangers before signing with the D’Backs last offseason. The 27-year-old is still looking to make his Major League debut, and he has a 4.25 ERA, 30.3% strikeout rate, and 14.6% walk rate in 42 1/3 relief innings for Reno this season.
