Starting right-hander Zac Gallen was officially recalled by the Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday in preparation for his afternoon start against the Oakland Athletics.
Manager Torey Lovullo said that Gallen will be on a pitch limit — though he declined to say the exact figure — as he makes his 2021 debut 12 games into the year after a hairline fracture in his pitching arm pushed his availability back.
Lovullo had named Gallen the Tuesday starter on Monday, but in a related move to open a spot for the pitcher on the roster, the D-backs optioned reliever Matt Peacock to the alternate training site.
That might be a mild surprise after the 27-year-old right-hander debuted on April 6 and from there threw three scoreless appearances (5.1 innings) with three strikeouts and two unintentional walks.
As Lovullo continues to manage a bullpen that’s already lost three veteran relievers who were set to contribute this year — Tyler Clippard, Joakim Soria and Chris Devenski — the Diamondbacks (4-7) don’t want to rush Peacock into taking on too much.
They also want to keep him stretched out in case of emergency.
“I think there’s certain times where young players are still learning and growing,” Lovullo said Tuesday before Arizona hosted Oakland. “They are here for a period of time while someone else heals up. Eventually that changes. You create a little bit of a path for ’em, and if they walk through that path the right way, they make their inroads and call themselves a big-leaguer for a long time.
“He’s emerging,” the manager added. “He’s walking through the early parts of his big league career perfectly. We want to see that continue. He’s got an unbelievable attitude, and the stuff complements everything he does every single day. We haven’t seen the last of Matt Peacock, that’s what we explained to him.”
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