D-backs hoping to recapture '23 magic down the stretch

This story was excerpted from Steve Gilbert’s D-backs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The first half of the season for the Diamondbacks is probably best summed up this way: It wasn’t what they hoped it would be, but it’s a whole lot better than it could’ve been.

The D-backs suffered a wave of injuries from position players like outfielder Alek Thomas and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, to starters Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, Eduardo Rodriguez, Jordan Montgomery and Ryne Nelson. And that doesn’t even include relievers like closer Paul Sewald, who missed significant time.

They spent most of the first half trying to gain some momentum and found themselves a season-worst seven games under .500 on May 31.

Yet when the D-backs went their separate ways for the All-Star break last Sunday night, they were sporting a winning record at 49-48 and were just one game out of the third NL Wild Card spot.

“This last stretch has been great,” Christian Walker said. “The confidence is high for sure.”

Let’s take a look at what’s to come in the second half, which begins Friday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field:

Second-half goal: Get back their injured pitchers
One of general manager Mike Hazen’s biggest objectives last offseason was to improve the team’s rotation and it looked like he had done just that when he signed Rodriguez to a four-year contract in December, and then took advantage of a slow free-agent market to snag Montgomery on a one-year deal the day after the season began. Pairing those two with Gallen, Kelly and Brandon Pfaadt gave Arizona one of the best rotations on paper to start the year.

Every one of those starters -- except for Pfaadt -- has been on the IL at some point in the first half, with Rodriguez yet to throw a regular-season pitch for the D-backs and Kelly out since April. Montgomery, who missed the final couple weeks of the first half, is expected back after the break and Rodriguez and Kelly should return in early August -- which should provide a big lift to the rotation.

Trade Deadline strategy: Buy, Buy, Buy
It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Hazen is not aggressive at the Trade Deadline. For one, it’s not in his nature to be a seller. Secondly, the team opened the year with the highest payroll in franchise history. And as they showed with last year’s run to the World Series as the third Wild Card team, all you have to do is get into the postseason and anything can happen. With the NL Wild Card race wide open, look for Hazen to be a buyer. Depending on how they feel about how quickly their injured starters will return, the D-backs could look to add a starting pitcher. But they will most certainly try to add to their bullpen, something Hazen has tried to do every year. Another bat might also be a target, depending on how third baseman Eugenio Suárez is hitting.

Key player: Corbin Carroll
Carroll has picked things up a bit since his slow start to the season, but he’s still not performing at the level that he expects of himself. The D-backs remain confident that Carroll will ratchet it up a notch because of the combination of his talent and work ethic. If Carroll is able to catch fire at the plate, the D-backs' offense will likely take off because when Carroll gets on base, his speed causes chaos on the bases. Carroll’s presence on the basepaths also opens up RBI opportunities for All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte as well as Walker.

Prospect to watch: SS Jordan Lawlar
Lawlar, the team’s No. 1 prospect in the D-backs' system and No. 8 overall in the Majors per MLB Pipeline, was called up by Arizona last September and stayed with the club throughout its playoff run. For now, Perdomo is locked in as the starting shortstop, but the team has had Lawlar, who missed a chunk of the season due to injury, taking some reps at third base. That’s important because the veteran Suárez has struggled at the plate this year. If Lawlar gets healthy and shows the club that his bat is ready, it would not be a surprise to see him get called up at some point in the second half.