Diamondbacks Face Padres With Rotation Hole After Burnes Lands on IL
The short version
- Corbin Burnes was placed on the injured list, leaving Arizona without a named starter for Saturday's game
- Manager Torey Lovullo said Saturday will likely be a bullpen game, with plans depending on Friday's usage
- Jose Cabrera was recalled from Triple-A Reno; Zac Gallen, Ryne Nelson and Eduardo Rodriguez are relief options
- Tampa Bay led Philadelphia 2-0 in the seventh; a Phillies loss keeps Saturday's games relevant since Philadelphia's magic number is two
- Friday's matchup: Brandon Pfaadt (7-3, 3.72) vs. Casey Mize (6-9, 3.96)
Arizona begins a critical three-game set in San Diego without Corbin Burnes, forcing manager Torey Lovullo to piece together Saturday's pitching plans.
The Arizona Diamondbacks begin a pivotal three-game series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, and the stakes could hardly be higher. With the club chasing a playoff spot, each contest in this set carries the weight of an elimination game, and Friday's opener may determine how the rest of the weekend unfolds.
Arizona got a potential break elsewhere on the scoreboard: the Tampa Bay Rays held a 2-0 lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh inning. Because Philadelphia sits just two away from locking up a spot, a defeat for the Phillies on Friday would keep the Diamondbacks' Saturday matchups meaningful in the race.
The biggest question mark for Arizona is Saturday's pitching assignment. Right-hander Corbin Burnes went on the injured list, and nobody has been named to fill his turn in the rotation for Sept. 26. Manager Torey Lovullo indicated the club will likely piece the game together with relievers, though the exact shape of that plan hinges on how the series opener plays out.
Lovullo said the staff has multiple contingencies ready. The priority, he stressed, is winning Friday night, and decisions about Saturday will come afterward depending on which arms get used. He raised the possibility of one reliever handling several innings or, alternatively, using as many as nine different pitchers across the game.
If the club wants length, several paths exist. Right-hander Jose Cabrera came up from Triple-A Reno to replace Burnes on the active roster. Veterans Zac Gallen and Ryne Nelson, both former starters now working in relief, are on hand, though Lovullo noted Nelson is unlikely to go beyond two innings. Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez could also contribute one frame out of the bullpen, either Saturday or Sunday, and Lovullo indicated he will be present in the relievers' area over the coming days.
Friday's pitching matchup features Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (7-3, 3.72 ERA) against San Diego right-hander Casey Mize (6-9, 3.96 ERA), with first pitch at 6:40 p.m. local time on Cox Ch. 34. Pfaadt has grown into a dependable rotation piece this year but lasted only 4 1/3 innings in his most recent outing, a home start against the Yankees.
Mize came over from Detroit at the trade deadline after posting a 2.70 ERA and a 4-6 mark with the Tigers. His Padres tenure has been uneven: 2-3 with a 6.64 ERA. Arizona roughed him up badly on Aug. 5 at Chase Field, chasing him after 3 1/3 innings and eight runs. His season debut against the Diamondbacks went far better — six innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts on March 31 — and this will be his third start against them this year.
The series continues Saturday at 5:40 p.m. local time, with an unnamed Arizona pitcher opposed by Padres right-hander Walker Buehler (9-6, 4.56). Sunday's 12:10 p.m. finale, the final day of the regular season, matches Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka (9-5, 3.31) against a San Diego starter to be determined.
Global Sportscast's schedule lists the Diamondbacks visiting the Padres on Saturday, September 26 at 8:40 PM EDT at Petco Park, with coverage available on MLB.TV, Padres.TV and DBACKS.TV.
