When Zac Gallen left his start against the New York Mets on May 30 with a right hamstring strain, it was the doomsday scenario for the Diamondbacks. At that point, Arizona was in the midst of a five-game losing streak and had just lost their ace. Coupled with injuries to Eduardo Rodríguez and Merrill Kelly earlier in the season, their top three starting pitchers were on the injured list before the end of May.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!It could have been the coup de grâce to a 2024 Diamondbacks squad crushed by injuries this season. However, the team buckled down and went 14-12 in the 26 games Gallen was on the shelf. They now sit at 40-43 and are still very much alive in the National League Wild Card race, 2.5 games back of the St. Louis Cardinals for the third Wild Card spot entering play on June 30.
As Gallen was set to return on June 29, manager Torey Lovullo talked to reporters, including Jesse Friedman of PHNX Sports, about Gallen’s impact in the clubhouse.
“I think Zac just walking around in the clubhouse and being around with his attitude and his conversations, and what he does on the field. It just elevates everybody’s thoughts. I posture a little bit when he’s coming around, he’s earned that. He tidies up the entire space, not just the pitchers. He demands that because he goes out and pitches his tail, he goes out and works his butt off every four days. He sets a great example.”
Torey Lovullo on the impact of getting Zac Gallen back:
"I posture a little bit when he's coming around, he's earned that. He tidies up the entire space, not just the pitchers … I want everybody to tighten up a little bit. We need to tighten things up around here." pic.twitter.com/3GJLLcImlt
— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) June 29, 2024
Gallen felt like being unhealthy was a disservice to the team and made it his mission to get back in the rotation as soon as possible. The Diamondbacks had been relying on young guys, with Ryne Nelson, Slade Cecconi, Tommy Henry, and Brandon Pfaadt eating up a lot of starts this season. Those four pitchers have combined for 47 of the team’s 83 starts, well over half the team’s total.
“I was trying to get back as fast and as safely as I could,” Gallen told reporters, including Jesse Friedman of PHNX Sports, on Saturday following his first start back from the IL. “It’s tough to count on young guys. I felt like I was doing the guys here a disservice by being unhealthy. I was trying to get back as fast as I really could, come back and help the boys, get back in my spot in the rotation, do my job, give us a chance to win every five days. I took it personal, having to put a lot of weight on guys who probably weren’t expecting to have that much pressure.”
Zac Gallen on getting to contribute again to a struggling D-backs rotation:
"I felt like I was doing the guys here a disservice of being unhealthy … I took it personal, just having to put a lot of weight on guys who probably weren't expecting to have that much pressure." pic.twitter.com/99w0b3utbb
— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) June 29, 2024
Those efforts did not go unnoticed by Lovullo. On the postgame broadcast on Dbacks TV, he talked about his ace’s commitment to the rehab process in response to a question from the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro about the starting rotation getting healthy.
“I think Zac was on a complete mission for almost 30 days. He didn’t waste a day. It inspired me, and I know it inspired that dugout today and gave us a really good, refreshing feeling.”
That effort immediately paid dividends for the Diamondbacks. Gallen made a triumphant return from the 15-day injured list against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, throwing six dominant innings in a 3-0 shutout win. Despite being on a tight pitch count, he went above and beyond the call of duty to put his team in a position to take a “must-win” game.
Gallen’s fastball was coming in extra hot in his start. He averaged a career-high average velocity of 95.2 MPH on 31 four-seam fastballs, with 18 of them hitting 95.0 MPH or faster. The 58.1% rate of fastballs with a velocity of at least 95.0 MPH is the second highest total of his career.
Not only was he firing fastballs well, he was getting great results on his secondary pitches. All four primary pitches recorded at least two whiffs in the game, 13 in total. Combined with his ability to jump ahead of hitters, it comes as no surprise Oakland hitters had no beat on him for those six innings. Only four of the 11 balls put into play against Gallen were hit over 95 MPH, and only three batted balls had an expected batting average (xBA) of .500 or better according to Statcast.
Having their ace back in the rotation is an uplifting feeling for not only Lovullo but also the players. Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte spoke after the game with Jody Jackson on Dbacks TV following the win about Gallen’s impact on the club on his day to start.
“I know Gallen’s good at pitching. I hope he stays healthy. I know what he can do out there, and I am glad he is back.”
The Diamondbacks still need to get their starting rotation healthy and figured out if there is any chance this team makes a run at a playoff spot. Getting Gallen back is a big first step towards that goal. They still await for the return of Kelly and Rodríguez, which is looking more like mid-August for both pitchers right now. The question will be if their current starting rotation can be good enough for the Diamondbacks to make a run at the Wild Card late into the season.
Zac Gallen dominant in first start back in Diamondbacks’ 3-0 win over the Athletics
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
