Ahead of the Diamondbacks’ series finale against Toronto, manager Torey Lovullo expressed confidence about Jordan Montgomery rejoining Arizona’s rotation immediately after the All-Star break, according to AZ Central’s Theo Mackie.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Torey Lovullo said he “feels very good” about Jordan Montgomery being back for the first turn through the rotation after the All-Star break
— Theo Mackie (@theo_mackie) July 14, 2024
With Slade Cecconi being sent down to Triple-A last week, there is an open spot in the rotation for Montgomery without requiring any additional roster moves. This allows Ryne Nelson, who has delivered consecutive solid starts, and Yilber Diaz, who has begun his Major League career impressively by allowing just two earned runs over 12 innings, to remain in the rotation.
While Montgomery’s return is a positive step, the Diamondbacks will still be missing Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez until mid-August. Kelly has been out since early April, and Rodriguez has yet to make an appearance for the Diamondbacks after suffering a lat injury in spring training.
Over the past couple of weeks, the Diamondbacks have improved their team ERA from the second worst in baseball to now the fourth worst. They have won 10 of their last 14 games and are currently riding a four-game winning streak.
Remarkably, if Arizona can sweep the Blue Jays and the Mets lose to the Rockies, the Diamondbacks will enter the All-Star break with a National League Wild Card spot. This is quite an achievement considering the injuries the D-backs have had to navigate this season.
If Montgomery returns to the rotation immediately after the break, he is expected to pitch either against the Chicago Cubs or the Kansas City Royals.
