Is Ryne Nelson pitching for his rotation spot against the Rangers?

The Diamondbacks take on the Texas Rangers for the second and final game at Globe Life Field, with first pitch at 11:35 A.M. MST. Taking the mound for Arizona today will be right-hander Ryne Nelson. Nelson has been in the rotation all season after earning a spot in Spring Training, but has not been able to get his results to translate in the regular season. With Cristian Mena pitching relatively well with Reno and Tommy Henry lined up on Wednesday, the Diamondbacks have potential options available to replace Nelson in the rotation should he falter against the Rangers.

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The 26-year-old right-hander is coming off a very encouraging appearance against the Dodgers. Coming out of the bullpen as a bulk reliever, he got 15 outs without giving up a run in a 6-0 win. The Diamondbacks are hoping for those results to continue in his next start. If not, they could turn to someone else and send Nelson to Reno and take another chance with Henry or get an evaluation of Mena in the big leagues.

With Eduardo Rodríguez and Merrill Kelly limited to just four starts on the season, the team needed their depth options like Nelson, Henry, Blake Walston, and Slade Cecconi to help fill in the gaps. For that group, they’ve gotten inconsistent results at best. That’s not too surprising considering the experience level of these pitchers, but for more established arms like Henry and Nelson, who have more than 30 career starts under their belts, it’s been disappointing to see them not take the next step.

The Rangers will be sending right-hander Dane Dunning to the mound to start this game. Dunning is 3-3 with a 4.43 ERA and has been one of their more reliable arms in terms of health. Combining for 13 innings in his first two starts of the season, he’s only recorded more than 15 outs in a start once in his next eight. His last start he gave up five runs (three earned) on four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts at Citizens Bank Park. The Diamondbacks’ slumping offense could be what Dunning needs to get untracked after a string of short starts.

Diamondbacks slumping offense has decreased their margin of error to win games

Starting Lineups

Game Notes

Diamondbacks

• Since scoring six runs last Wednesday in a win over the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks haven’t scored more than three runs in their last four games. Over that stretch, they’ve scored a total of six runs.
• In the Diamondbacks loss to the Rangers, the No. 3-6 hitters accounted for seven of the eight hits.
• Since May 24, the Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte have combined to go 1-for-29 at the plate. The lone hit was a triple by Corbin Carroll on May 26, a sinking liner that Marlins left fielder Bryan De La Cruz made an ill-advised dive towards.
• Ryne Nelson has only recorded outs in the fifth inning in one of his starts in 2024, when he held the Cardinals to one run in six innings on April 13.
• Nelson faced the Rangers in Game 4 of the World Series, allowing just one run in 4 1/3 innings of relief.

Rangers

• Corey Seager has seven home runs in his last seven games. His three-run home run in the fifth inning was the difference in the Rangers’ 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
• Dane Dunning has not thrown more than 79 pitches in his past three starts, after throwing no fewer than 80 pitches in his first five. Dunning was on the 15-day injured list May 5-21 with a rotator cuff strain. This will be his second start since coming off the IL.
• Marcus Semien is not in the starting lineup for the Rangers after appearing in the first 54 games of the season. Since the start of the 2023 season, he played in all 216 regular season contests.

Bullpen Situation

Diamondbacks

Brandon Hughes was the only reliever to pitch in Tuesday’s loss to the Rangers, completing the eighth inning in 18 pitches. Every other reliever is well-rested although Joe Mantiply was also getting loose in the bullpen as well. Manager Torey Lovullo will have the chance to piece together the game, no matter how short Ryne Nelson’s start is.

Rangers

The Rangers used Grant Anderson, David Robertson, and Kirby Yates to close out the game. Anderson and Roberts threw 15 pitches, while Yates needed 23 as the Diamondbacks mounted a two-out rally in the ninth inning.

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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB