Gabriel

Moreno

We’d expect Moreno to miss some time. Adrian Del Castillo and Ronaldo Hernandez would be the candidates to take his place on the roster. It’d be interesting to see what Del Castillo could do with playing time, but the Diamondbacks might play it safe and go with José Herrera most of the time.

Moreno was in considerable pain after getting while trying to leg out an infield single. It definitely looked like an IL-type situation. That’d be a big loss for a Diamondbacks team with Jose Herrera as a backup catcher. They do have prospect Adrian Del Castillo performing as one of the PCL’s best hitters this year, but his defense is suspect.

Moreno has hit .362 with two homers, eight RBI and seven walks in his last 13 games, raising his OPS from .633 to .710. Today’s game was his 11th of the year batting second, something that typically happens against lefties. He’s gone 20-for-47 from that spot, so perhaps the Diamondbacks would consider giving him more of an extended run there. That’d probably require moving Corbin Carroll to the bottom half of the order.

Moreno was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup due to back soreness, so it’s a positive development that he’s feeling well enough to handle the catching duties on Thursday night. The 24-year-old backstop has been sizzling-hot at the dish lately, batting .393 (11-for-28) with one homer, five RBI and one steal in eight games since returning from the injured list back on July 2.

The issue is believed to be minor and the 24-year-old backstop is expected to be available off of the Diamondbacks’ bench on Wednesday evening. Jose Herrera will start in his place behind the dish and will bat ninth against Charlie Morton and the Braves on Wednesday.

Moreno is officially back for Tuesday’s series opener against the division-rival Dodgers following a nearly two-week absence due to a left thumb sprain.

Moreno was placed on the injured list last Saturday with a sprained left thumb, and he’ll be eligible for activation Tuesday. The 24-year-old may get a couple extra days, but the Diamondbacks already announced they don’t believe he needs a rehab assignment, so it would take something unforeseeable for him not to be back before the middle of the week.

Moreno is getting back up to speed in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League at the moment, but Lovullo made it sound like he’ll return on Tuesday instead of getting into some additional minor league contests. The 24-year-old backstop has been out since last weekend due to a left thumb sprain.

Arizona has clearly opted not to take any chances here and will shut Moreno down for at least the next couple days after he was lifted from Friday’s game against the Phillies with a left thumb sprain. The 24-year-old backstop doesn’t appear to be facing a lengthy absence since X-rays came back negative for any fractures, but the Diamondbacks can’t really afford to play shorthanded at catcher.

Moreno has had a down year this season, relative to fantasy managers’ lofty expectations, on the heels of a stellar postseason at the dish. However, it would be a significant loss for Arizona if he winds up requiring a trip to the injured list. The positive news here is that X-rays came back negative for any fractures after Moreno left Friday’s game against the Phillies with a left thumb sprain. He should be considered day-to-day for now.