Reinforcements on their way to D-backs

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.

For the last six-plus weeks, it seems like we’ve been constantly reporting on players the D-backs have lost due to injury. Eduardo Rodriguez, Paul Sewald, Alek Thomas, Geraldo Perdomo and on and on it went.

Finally, I come bearing good news for you: The D-backs are about to start getting some players back.

The process should begin Sunday when Ryne Nelson is activated off the 15-day IL to start the series finale against the Padres. Nelson, you may remember, was coming off his best start of the year when he faced the Giants on April 18 at Oracle Park and got hit in the right elbow by a line drive in the second inning.

Sewald will throw in an extended spring game today, and Thomas started a rehab assignment on Friday.

Provided all goes well for the two of them, they will both be activated Tuesday when the D-backs open a three-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati.

“You might see a new army coming in on Tuesday in Cincinnati,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “So we'll keep you posted on that. You might see us a whole line change on Tuesday.”

It will be a welcome sight for Lovullo, who has grown weary of watching his players walk off the field injured.

In fact, watching so many of his players go down with injury was a big reason why Lovullo made the decision he did during last Tuesday night’s “Bee Game” against the Dodgers and the one he made afterwards about Zac Gallen.

If you remember, there was a 1 hour, 55 minute delay at the start of the game and Jordan Montgomery, that night’s scheduled starter for the D-backs, had already warmed up and was ready to go.

Lovullo, though, was not going to take any chances with Montgomery and didn’t want to have him pitch after getting warm and then sitting around for nearly two hours, so instead the D-backs went with a bullpen game that night.

“I wanted to protect Jordan Montgomery,” Lovullo said. “Forgive me for feeling a little bit shell shocked every time somebody walks off the mound and they're not looking right. I'm holding my breath right now.”

Gallen, who left his last start in Seattle in the sixth inning after experiencing tightness in his right hamstring, was scheduled to start the next night. Instead, Lovullo pushed Montgomery to Wednesday, and as long as they were already giving Gallen extra time, Lovullo decided he would give him even more, so he will start Tuesday in Cincinnati.

“What I've been explaining to Zac is, in my opinion he is the best pitcher in the National League and we need him for the rest of the year,” Lovullo said. “We have the ability to maneuver and make some adjustments to give him a little bit more rest, to just totally eliminate a concern.”