Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo announced the starting rotation for the upcoming series against the Cubs. Appearing on the Burns and Gambo Show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM radio Thursday afternoon, he mentioned that Ryne Nelson (6-6, 4.98 ERA) will start Friday afternoon’s game, followed by Zac Gallen (6-5, 3.87 ERA) on Saturday night. Lovullo did not name a starter for Sunday during his appearance but the Diamondbacks have listed Brandon Pfaadt (4-6, 3.97 ERA) as the probable starter.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Cubs will counter with left-hander Justin Steele (2-3, 2.71 ERA) on Friday, right-hander Kyle Hendricks (2-7, 6.78 ERA) on Saturday, and All-Star left-hander Shota Imanaga (8-2, 2.97 ERA) on Sunday.
It’s worth noting that the Diamondbacks gave Gallen an extra day of rest. After pushing him to make four starts before the All-Star break, he’ll start on five days’ rest against Chicago. Ryne Nelson will start the first game coming out of the break ahead of Gallen for the second year in a row.
Assuming all else holds constant, that likely means rookie right-hander Yilber Diaz will start against the Kansas City Royals on Monday. Diaz has been solid in his first two career MLB starts, holding the Braves and Blue Jays to one run in six innings in each start.
Jordan Montgomery closing in on a return
Left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 29, was not in consideration for starting over the weekend. Lovullo told Gambadoro that Montgomery threw a simulated game and if everything goes well could be on track to be activated from the IL when his spot comes up in Kansas City on July 23.
“He threw a sim game today, three innings and 56 pitches, maintained velo at 92-93 MPH,” said Lovullo. “Everything was good, he checked that box and we’ll see where he’s going to go next time. We’re going to determine that in the coming days.”
Asked if the veteran left-hander could be back for the Kansas City and Pittsburgh series, the Diamondbacks manager replied “very likely” and they’ll see tomorrow morning how he feels coming out of that sim game. If Montgomery feels well, he could suit up in 5-6 days.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
