The Diamondbacks’ 14-3 rout of the Dodgers right this moment wasn’t a wholly clean trip for Arizona, as left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. left the sport after struggling some tightness in his left calf. The harm occurred when Gurriel was making an attempt to beat out a grounder within the backside of the sixth, and he was changed in left area when the seventh inning started. Supervisor Torey Lovullo advised reporters (together with the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro) that Gurriel is day-to-day for now and can bear an MRI to find out the extent of the harm.
Gurriel is hitting .274/.316/.428 with 17 house runs over 522 plate appearances this season, whereas posting strong defensive metrics throughout the board because the Diamondbacks’ on a regular basis left fielder. The glovework is a bit much less spectacular than it was in 2023, however Gurriel’s 104 wRC+ is only a shade beneath his 105 wRC+ in 592 PA a yr in the past. That profitable first season in Arizona and his continued hitting within the playoffs impressed the D’Backs to re-sign Gurriel in free company final winter, bringing him again on a three-year, $42MM deal that features a membership possibility for 2027.
Whereas Gurriel has been susceptible to fairly excessive hot-and-cold stretches on the plate, his streakiness has evened out to a reasonably steady profession observe file. During the last 5 162-game Main League seasons, Gurriel has averaged a minimum of 1.6 fWAR and not more than 2.0 fWAR, although his 1.9 fWAR by 125 video games this yr may get a brand new highwater mark.
After all, that’s assuming this calf drawback doesn’t require a stint on the 10-day injured checklist. Calf accidents will be difficult to handle and something greater than minor cafe points can are likely to linger, so there will likely be some measure of concern within the Diamondbacks’ camp till the MRI comes again clear.
Arizona can hardly afford to lose one other common throughout the playoff hunt. At the moment’s victory put the Snakes 5 video games again of the Dodgers within the NL West race, and simply share factors forward of the Padres for the highest NL wild card berth. Whereas the D’Backs have constructed a little bit respiratory room of their pursuit of not less than a wild card, the crew has hung in regardless that Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, and Gabriel Moreno are all on the 10-day IL.
The excellent news on the harm entrance is that Walker is “actual shut” to a return, Lovullo advised Piecoro and firm right this moment. Walker could possibly be again sooner or later throughout the Diamondbacks’ six-game highway journey that begins Tuesday in San Francisco, as the primary baseman has progressed to dealing with dwell pitching in exercises on the crew’s Spring Coaching camp. It doesn’t seem as if Walker will want a minor league rehab project, regardless that he has been sidelined for over a month as a result of a left indirect pressure.
Moreno’s IL stint as a result of a groin pressure can be nearing the one-month mark, as Moreno hasn’t performed since August 5. Lovullo stated Moreno is each hitting and has resumed catching drills. Marte can be having dwell at-bats however isn’t but working out of the batters’ field, as he continues to get well from an ankle sprain that despatched him to the IL on August 18.
