The D-Backs made a handful of moves on tonight’s off day. Arizona activated Ryne Nelson from the 15-day injured list and recalled outfielder Alek Thomas from Triple-A Reno. The Snakes optioned Yilber Diaz and Blake Walston to open spots on the active roster.
Nelson’s return is the biggest development. The right-hander has had a strong second half, working to a 3.39 ERA while striking out more than 27% of opponents since the All-Star Break. Nelson outpitched Jordan Montgomery to solidify his rotation spot. He held that job until the middle of September, when a bout of shoulder inflammation sent him to the injured list.
That temporarily drew Montgomery back into the starting five. Arizona could use both Nelson and Montgomery out of the bullpen this weekend. The D-Backs will start Merrill Kelly tomorrow to kick off their weekend series with the Padres. They haven’t announced starters for their final two games. Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt would be on schedule. They’re the third and fourth starters on paper, although Nelson had been handily outperforming both in the weeks leading to his IL placement. Zac Gallen tossed 97 pitches over six innings against the Giants yesterday. He’s potentially an option for Sunday on three days rest if the D-Backs are playing a must-win game.
Thomas returns to the outfield mix as a speed and defense option off the bench. The D-Backs optioned him to Triple-A in the middle of August. He suffered an injury within a week and was out of action until September 17. Thomas has only appeared in 37 MLB contests this year. He’s hitting .191/.248/.362 across 102 plate appearances. Jake McCarthy has surpassed him as the primary center fielder.
At 88-71, the Diamondbacks currently hold the final Wild Card spot. They’re percentage points behind the #5 seed Mets. Arizona is technically one game up on the 86-71 Braves, but the teams have an equal number of losses with Atlanta holding the tiebreaker. If the Braves were to win out, they’d leapfrog the D-Backs.
Atlanta’s final two games — scheduled for next Monday after this week’s hurricane-related postponements — are against the Mets. That means the Diamondbacks control their destiny. If Arizona wins out, they’d hang onto the sixth seed over the Mets even if the Braves passed them by also finishing 91-71.
There’s a lot at play. The Atlanta-New York postponement means there’s a good chance the D-Backs won’t know their fate until Monday, even though Arizona’s regular season ends on Sunday. The Mets are headed to Milwaukee this weekend, while the Braves host a Royals team that only needs one win (or a Twins loss) to punch its ticket to October.