Diamondbacks’ Eugenio Suarez on trade deadline rumors
Eugenio Suarez is a potential trade candidate before the July 31 trade deadline and talked about what it means to be with the Diamondbacks.
PITTSBURGH — Right-hander Ryne Nelson is through five scoreless innings, but the offense has been held in check thus far by Pirates right-hander Mike Burrows, and the Diamondbacks and Pirates are scoreless as play entered the sixth inning on Friday night, July 25, at PNC Park.
The Diamondbacks did not have their first hit against Burrows until Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s infield single with one out in the fifth. Jake McCarthy followed with a single to center, but they were stranded after Burrows collected two ground-ball outs to finish the inning.
Nelson has had to work out a couple of jams but has otherwise been sharp. In the second, he allowed a two-out triple to Tommy Pham, who skied a ball that hit off the wall just above the outstretched glove of Corbin Carroll in right field. Nelson escaped the inning when Ke’Bryan Hayes lined to second.
An inning later, Nelson hit a batter and walked another but got two fly ball outs to get out of trouble.
Lovullo calls team meeting after trade
After the Diamondbacks pulled off the first of what could be many trades at this year’s deadline, manager Torey Lovullo held a team meeting before their series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“We gave the group some time to understand what’s going on and then we talked about going out and doing our job,” Lovullo said. “That’s the bottom line. That’s all we can do.”
While Lovullo said he did not know what the organization was going to do next — and even GM Mike Hazen said earlier in the day that he did not know, either — players seemed to recognize the possibility that more veterans could be stripped off the roster in the coming days.
“I think that yesterday is probably a signal as far as what route we’re taking,” right-hander Merrill Kelly said of the deal that sent first baseman Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners. “But you never know. We’ll see what the front office has in store for us the next couple days.”
Added Kelly: “The ugly side of this industry is that you’re around guys for however long you play with them and then you walk in one day and they’re gone.”
Lovullo said he reminded his players they can still play well despite the trade.
“I said that yesterday we had 26 guys and today we have 25 of the 26 and we have a pretty good player in Tristin English stepping in,” Lovullo said. “It doesn’t mean we can’t win baseball games. Let’s go out there and do our job.”
Tristin English to take over at first base
Lovullo said English, who was brought up from Triple-A Reno to take Naylor’s spot on the roster, likely would get every start at first base for the near future.
Outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and catcher James McCann could be options as backups at first, but Lovullo intimated that they likely would not get starts at the position.
Meanwhile, first baseman Pavin Smith continues to work his way back from an oblique injury but remains multiple weeks away. He is taking light swings and doing light running, Lovullo said.
“There’s a little more time there for sure,” he said.
For English, this is his second stint in the big leagues. He played in just one game during his first one, going 0 for 4 in a start in San Diego. He has had a strong season at the plate in Reno, hitting .340/.389/.578 with 25 doubles and 11 homers and only 40 strikeouts in 258 at-bats.
In other injury news, right-hander Shelby Miller’s live batting practice session that was scheduled for Friday, July 25, will be pushed back either one or two days as he continues to deal with lower back discomfort.
Left-hander Jalen Beeks has been expected to throw a live session, as well, but Lovullo said he had not heard on update on how it went.
Diamondbacks at Pirates, 3:40 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34
Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (6-2, 3.52) vs. Pirates RHP Mike Burrows (1-3, 4.70).
At PNC Park: Nelson fired six innings of one-run ball against the Cardinals over the weekend in his first start out of the All-Star break. In eight starts since taking RHP Corbin Burnes’ spot in the rotation, Nelson has logged a 3.61 ERA in 42 1/3 innings. … Nelson started against the Pirates on May 26, giving up just four hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings. … Nelson’s fastball, which averages 95.5 mph, has held opponents to a .187 average against. … Burrows has struggled to find consistency in his first extended run in the big leagues. He was all right in his most recent start (two runs, five innings) but was hammered for six runs in 1 1/3 innings the time before that. … He was hit hard by the Diamondbacks on May 27, giving up five runs (four earned) in 3 1/3 innings in what was his second career major league start. … He averages 95.2 mph with his fastball, but the pitch has been getting hit hard (.325 average, .538 slugging). His change-up has been his best pitch, getting whiffs on 48.1 percent of swings with a .174 opponents’ average.
Coming up
July 26: At Pittsburgh, 3:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (9-5, 3.32) vs. Pirates LHP Andrew Heaney (4-9, 5.03).
July 27: At Pittsburgh, 10:35 a.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (7-11, 5.58) vs. Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (5-8, 1.91).
July 28: At Detroit, 3:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-6, 5.50) vs. Tigers RHP Casey Mize (9-4, 3.40).
What to know about the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates are well out of the National League wild-card race, but they do have a must-see pitcher in their rotation who is scheduled to face the Diamondbacks this weekend. RHP Paul Skenes, who started the All-Star Game for the NL for the second year in a row, pitched six scoreless innings in his first start out of the break against the American League Central-leading Detroit Tigers. Skenes routinely reaches 100 mph with his fastball and has 137 strikeouts to just 31 walks in 21 starts this season. Skenes got the win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 28 in a 10-1 Pirates victory. The Pirates took two of three from the Diamondbacks in that series. Their offense is led by the athletic CF Oneil Cruz, who has 16 home runs and 33 stolen bases.