As expected, the Diamondbacks were reinstated Zac Gallen from the 15-day injured list today, as Gallen prepares to start Arizona’s game against the Athletics. Left hand Brandon Hughes optioned to Triple-A yesterday to make room for Gallen’s return.
Gallen suffered a strained right hamstring just six minutes into his start on May 30, so he will now return to action after nearly a month off. The rehab process went well for the right-hander, as he didn’t even make a major league start during his recovery. Gallen instead threw in live batting practice sessions, simulated games, and the bullpen to ramp up and prepare, and last Monday’s 67-pitch sim game was the final step in the process. With Gallen coming out of Thursday’s practice happy, the D’Backs finalized their plans to start Gallen today against Oakland.
Not to mention, getting Gallen back after just a month is a huge sigh of relief for the Diamondbacks, considering how injuries have plagued Arizona’s rotation. Eduardo Rodriguez signed a four-year, $80MM free agent contract during the offseason but has yet to start after struggling during Spring Training, and Merrill Kelly will be out until at least mid-August due to a teres major strain in his throwing shoulder. Jordan MontgomeryLate signings and late season starts have also led to mixed results for the left-hander, and among other struggles for young starters, Arizona ranks just 27 out of 30 teams in ERA this season.
Gallen was also a bright light in the rotation, with a 3.12 ERA in his first 11 innings and 57 2/3 innings before his hamstring strain. Missing a month could hurt Gallen’s chances of finishing third in a row in NL Cy Young Award voting, but helping the Diamondbacks into contention is certainly top of mind for Gallen. Despite early concerns and a 39-43 record, the D’Backs are 3.5 games back of the last NL wild-card spot, so getting mediocre results from the rotation could put Arizona in a very strong position for a second-half surge.
In other news about Rodriguez, manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com and other media outlets that the left hand will undergo an MRI next week to make sure everything is progressing as expected with his lat muscle. Rodriguez has been throwing 105 yards, but if the MRI is clear, he will begin a deep throwing program.
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