The Arizona Diamondbacks are getting a much-needed boost this weekend with Ketel Marte returning from the 10-day IL ahead of their pivotal series against the Houston Astros. But Arizona isn’t the only team getting reinforcements. Just hours before first pitch, the Astros announced that Kyle Tucker will also be back in the lineup for the first time since June 3rd.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Originally diagnosed with a shin bruise, it was recently revealed that Tucker had actually fractured his shin after fouling off a pitch, sidelining him for a significant portion of the season. Before the injury, Tucker was a key contributor to the Astros’ offense, smashing 19 home runs, stealing 10 bases, and posting an impressive .979 OPS.
Tucker has a history of success against the Diamondbacks. In 16 career games against Arizona, he holds a solid .286 batting average and has recorded at least one hit in each of his last five matchups with the D-backs.
This weekend’s series carries immense importance for both teams. The Diamondbacks are clinging to a 2.5-game lead in the NL Wild Card race, with the Mets rapidly closing in on them. Meanwhile, the Astros, fresh off being swept by the Reds, lead the Mariners by just 4.5 games in the AL West.
Unfortunately for Arizona, they will be without two of their top pitchers for the series, Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, as both started earlier in the week against San Francisco. Instead, they’ll rely on Brandon Pfaadt on Friday, Eduardo Rodriguez on Saturday, and Ryne Nelson on Sunday. For the Astros, they’ll counter with an imposing trio of top arms: Framber Valdez on Friday, Yusei Kikuchi on Saturday, and Justin Verlander on Sunday.
The Sunday night game has been elevated to Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. Arizona will look to avoid a repeat of last season, when they were swept by Houston in a three-game series at home to close out the year, managing only two runs across those games
First pitch for Friday’s game is scheduled for 5:10 PM.
