The Diamondbacks have officially activated Zac Gallen from the 15-day injured list. In order to make room on the roster, the team has optioned left-hander Brandon Hughes to Triple-A Reno.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Today's #Dbacks roster moves. pic.twitter.com/MaIOHt3Klz
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 29, 2024
Arizona will be welcoming back their ace after trying to piece together their rotation in the month of June. Appearing on the Burns and Gambo Show on Arizona Sports Radio, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo called this news the “worst kept secret in all of Major League Baseball”. He later confirmed this news at the start of his postgame breakdown on Dbacks TV.
A 13-6 start to June has quickly turned into a disappointing 14-11 month after losing five of their last six games. Part of that has been inconsistent performances out of the starting rotation, which has barely held together and has had to rely on younger options in Ryne Nelson and Slade Cecconi. Inconsistent performances from those two and free agent pickup Jordan Montgomery have negatively impacted the team’s ability to string together wins.
Gallen suffered a Grade 1 hamstring injury during his start against the New York Mets on May 30. He was placed on the injured list the following day. The Diamondbacks tried using Tommy Henry in that spot, occasionally deploying an opener ahead of him, but that plan failed. Henry has since been optioned to Triple-A Reno following four bad appearances.
It will still be a while before the Diamondbacks’ rotation returns to full strength, but it’s possible it never happens in 2024. While Gallen is back, both Merrill Kelly and Eduardo RodrÃguez are out until the middle of August at the earliest. As part of the health updates that manager Torey Lovullo gave on Friday, RodrÃguez is getting an MRI and will need to show signs of healing before getting back on a mound in the next phase of his rehab. The key will be to get both pitchers healthy going into the offseason, as both will be needed in 2025.
Hughes will be sent down for the third time this season. The left-hander allowed three home runs Friday night. On the season, he sports a 10.29 ERA, allowing a staggering eight home runs in 14 innings pitched. The Diamondbacks will only have one left-handed pitcher available out of the bullpen for the time being.
Zac Gallen set to start Saturday amongst list of Diamondbacks’ latest health updates
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
