The Diamondbacks’ 14-3 rout of the Dodgers as we speak wasn’t a completely easy journey 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 attempting to beat out a grounder within the backside of the sixth, and he was changed in left subject when the seventh inning started. Supervisor Torey Lovullo instructed reporters (together with the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro) that Gurriel is day-to-day for now and can endure an MRI to find out the extent of the harm.
Gurriel is hitting .274/.316/.428 with 17 dwelling runs over 522 plate appearances this season, whereas posting stable 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 12 months 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 choice for 2027.
Whereas Gurriel has been liable to fairly excessive hot-and-cold stretches on the plate, his streakiness has evened out to a reasonably secure profession monitor report. Over the past 5 162-game Main League seasons, Gurriel has averaged at least 1.6 fWAR and not more than 2.0 fWAR, although his 1.9 fWAR by way of 125 video games this 12 months might get a brand new highwater mark.
In fact, that’s assuming this calf downside doesn’t require a stint on the 10-day injured record. Calf accidents might be tough to handle and something greater than minor cafe points can are inclined 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 this time’s victory put the Snakes 5 video games again of the Dodgers within the NL West race, and simply proportion factors forward of the Padres for the highest NL wild card berth. Whereas the D’Backs have constructed a bit of respiratory room of their pursuit of no less than a wild card, the staff has hung in though 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 instructed Piecoro and firm as we speak. Walker could possibly be again sooner or later throughout the Diamondbacks’ six-game street journey that begins Tuesday in San Francisco, as the primary baseman has progressed to dealing with dwell pitching in exercises on the staff’s Spring Coaching camp. It doesn’t seem as if Walker will want a minor league rehab project, though he has been sidelined for over a month as a consequence of a left indirect pressure.
Moreno’s IL stint as a consequence of a groin pressure can be nearing the one-month mark, as Moreno hasn’t performed since August 5. Lovullo mentioned Moreno is each hitting and has resumed catching drills. Marte can be having dwell at-bats however isn’t but operating out of the batters’ field, as he continues to get well from an ankle sprain that despatched him to the IL on August 18.
