The Diamondbacks have officially activated Zac Gallen from the 15-day injured list. Gallen missed 27 games with a right hamstring strain. With their ace back in the fold, that should help settle things down. However, the question remains whether Gallen’s return will be the piece of good news Arizona needs to turn their season around.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Diamondbacks still face the same starting pitcher issue, even with their ace leading the top of the rotation. Barring a trade or call-up from Triple-A Reno, the team will have to get by the next six weeks with a starting rotation of Gallen, Jordan Montgomery, Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson, and Slade Cecconi. Other than Pfaadt or Gallen, the other three pitchers have had a Jekyll or Hyde-type season in terms of results.
The inconsistent starts have capped the Diamondbacks’ ability to go on a lengthened run of success this season. The team has not gone on a winning streak of more than four games this season, which they’ve done twice. In order for them to get back in the Wild Card race, they’ll need to have that run of success. Having Gallen back increases their chances of going on that run since he will deliver a good enough start to win around 90% of the time.
The path forward for the Diamondbacks will be for Gallen to come off the injured list and resume pitching at an All-Star level. At the same time, the team also needs to find a way to win when their ace is on the mound. Between now and July 30, Gallen will make at least six starts. If the team can go 5-1 or better with him on the mound, they can afford to play .500 ball for the other four starters and be close enough to a playoff spot to make a run down the stretch.
There’s still a lot that needs to happen in order for the Diamondbacks to put themselves in a position to be buyers. They’re currently 39-43, losing five of six since getting to .500 on June 21. They’re 3.5 games out from a Wild Card spot and are just a strong run away from cutting significantly into that deficit. However, at the same time, their season is barely hanging on by a thread where a bad stretch of games is enough to push them out of contention.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
