Diamondbacks Gameday Thread #160: 09/27 vs. Padres

Squad moves (from yesterday)

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-Backs’ 40-man roster stands at 38.

• Recalled from Triple-A Reno: BY Alek Thomas
• Reinstated from the 15-day injured list: RHP Ryne Nelson (right shoulder inflammation)
• Option for Reno after yesterday’s game: RHP Yilber Diaz and LHP Blake Walston

It’s worth going through these in a little more detail first. It’s nice to have Nelson back, I initially assumed he would probably start later in the series: pitchers for tomorrow and Sunday have not been announced by the team at the time of writing. In theory it should be Jordan Montgomery tomorrow and then Eduardo Rodriguez on Sunday, and I could imagine them starting Nelson tomorrow with a shortened pitch count. However, Torey just said that Nelson will be used as a substitute, although the exact manner has yet to be decided. I also note that the team is dropping a bullpen arm in favor of Thomas, who can be used as a late-inning defensive replacement and bats off the bench.

Tonight Kelly will be asked to lead the series and hopefully he can set the tone with a win. Hopefully he too has had enough of his pre-game bananas and doesn’t have to experience cramps before his start. It would be nice if he could finish the season undefeated and ideally with a 6-0 record. Only three pitchers have ever gone undefeated in 13 or more starts in a year: Noah Lowry (6-0 in 14 GS, 2004 Giants); Jason Bere (5-0, 14 GS, 1999 Reds/Brewers); and Kirk Rueter (6-0, 14 GS, 1993 Expos). The Padres have a solid offense (107 OPS+), so keeping them under control will be important tonight. Win and it will be Torey’s beloved “downhill baseball” in this series. The alternative… is not worth considering.

We finish this early because I’m sure we’re all nervous waiting for it to be the first pitch!