The Arizona Diamondbacks got hit with another rotation injury right before the All-Star break. Zac Gallen was scratched from his scheduled start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday because of right elbow inflammation, and the team is bracing for him to land on the 15-day injured list.
Manager Torey Lovullo said Gallen was sent back to Arizona for imaging. Left-handed rookie Mitch Bratt got called up from Triple-A Reno to take the ball in the series finale instead. So much for a clean break before the midsummer pause.
Gallen had been a durability anchor for Arizona through a rough stretch. He made all 19 of his starts this season and logged 98 innings, the second-most on the staff. But the results have been brutal. His 6.34 ERA is the highest among qualified major league starters. His FIP sits at 5.32. Advanced metrics like expected ERA (6.49), xFIP and SIERA all hover near 5.00. This isn’t just bad luck. It’s been a bad year.
The strikeout numbers tell the story. Gallen’s strikeout rate dropped to 13.9%, a career low by a mile. He’s striking out 5.60 batters per nine innings after never posting a rate below 21% over his first seven MLB seasons. Hitters are teeing off on his four-seam fastball — .331 batting average, .545 slugging. Both his curveball and slider have negative Run Values per Statcast, and his overall minus-19 Run Value ranks fourth-worst among qualified pitchers. He’s also giving up 1.65 home runs per nine innings, another career high, and his 9.00 ERA in the first inning is the second-highest in baseball.
His last start came against the Padres, where he allowed four runs over six innings and took his fourth straight loss. The fastball averaged 92.7 mph that day, down from his season average of 93.4. Not a great sign for a guy who used to sit 94-95.
Rotation Depth Getting Thin Fast
Gallen’s injury is just the latest blow to a rotation that’s been held together with tape and hope. Corbin Burnes is on the 60-day IL after Tommy John surgery and a teres major strain. Ryne Nelson has a right flexor strain and a UCL sprain. Michael Soroka’s recovery from a left glute strain hit a snag when his latest bullpen session got pushed back, and there’s no timetable for his return.
Right now, the projected rotation includes Eduardo Rodriguez, Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt, Jose Cabrera and Bratt. But Cabrera was optioned to the minors earlier this week and can’t come back right after the break. Just three weeks ago, Pfaadt, Cabrera and Bratt were all pitching at Triple-A. That’s how thin it’s gotten.
Bratt will be making his second MLB appearance. He allowed one run over three innings against the Cardinals on June 24. The lefty came over from the Rangers in last year’s Merrill Kelly trade and has a 2.41 ERA with a 25.2% strikeout rate over 13 starts at Triple-A Reno this season. Solid numbers, but it’s a big leap from Reno to a playoff-contending series at full stretch.
Despite all the injuries, Diamondbacks starters have thrown 518.2 innings this season, second in the National League behind only the Dodgers. That workload is starting to buckle. Arizona is leaning hard on whatever depth is left, and the margin for error keeps shrinking.
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