Onwards and upwards downwards
Recaps
[AZ Central] Short-handed Diamondbacks lack punch, fall to Rockies – Fielding a bare-bones lineup that was without Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the Diamondbacks were held to just five hits. Lovullo said the organization is trying to keep the big picture in mind with two players who have battled injuries in recent years. It has also been common practice for the club to build in extra off days for players around and during series at altitude in Colorado. “I know what they look like after the game last night; I know what they looked like walking in today,” Lovullo said of Marte and Gurriel. “They’re just gassed out. They go as hard as they can for as long as they can. I’ve got to sort through these things.”
Team news
[Dbacks.com] D-backs being extra cautious, will have Carroll undergo MRI – When asked prior to Sunday afternoon’s 4-2 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field if he was concerned that Carroll hasn’t been able to play for a few days, Lovullo said “yes and no,” citing that all indications were that Carroll’s hand is improving. But the team does have some concern after the recent experience with catcher Gabriel Moreno. Moreno returned to the lineup four days after being hit and played three games — June 10, 13 and 14 — before complaining of more pain in the hand. A second MRI taken in Toronto showed a hairline fracture and he was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday.
[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks to sign catcher James McCann with Gabriel Moreno on IL, per report – The Arizona Diamondbacks will sign catcher James McCann from the Atlanta Braves organization, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Sunday. McCann had been on a minor-league deal and had to be released or promoted upon interest from the Diamondbacks. Starting catcher Gabriel Moreno was placed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday, leaving Jose Herrera and Aramis Garcia as the team’s active catchers. Herrera has played all but one game in the past week, and Garcia went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Saturday in his lone start since Moreno’s injury.
[SI] Bullpen Stands Tall: Takeaways from D-backs’ Series Win Over Rockies – The Diamondbacks’ bullpen has been much-maligned in the 2025 season, and much of the criticism is deserved. At the same time, it’s equally important to praise them when they do well. Arizona’s relievers combined to allow just one run in 11 innings. What worked was not only their ability to miss bats, but also limiting walks to prevent the potential for big innings. They struck out 15 and walked only one. This is the type of series this unit needs to gain confidence, which hopefully leads to better results. They’ll face tougher lineups moving forward, but you have to start somewhere.
[Newsweek] With Diamondbacks ‘Swarmed’ by Offers, Could Red Sox Win Bidding for Slugger? – The Boston Red Sox are still searching for answers at first base after Triston Casas’ injury. Kristian Campbell took some reps over at the corner, but he isn’t a long-term answer. Entering Sunday, Alex Cora’s team was five games back in the American League East and held the final wild card spot, just a half-game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners. Boston appears poised to push for the playoffs and add to its roster at the trade deadline. Josh Naylor could be an option for the Red Sox, as the Arizona Diamondbacks could move on from him if they fall out of contention
[Hoodline] Arizona Senate Passes Chase Field Bill, Diamondbacks Eye Renovation Funding Amid Fiscal Debate – Despite the bill’s passage in the Senate, an added 94-page amendment necessitates further approval in the House before the governor may sign it into law, this amendment proposes a $500 million cap on diverted taxes over a 30-year period a cap which will swell by 3% each year from 2027 to 2055, putting a ceiling at $3.5 million annually on the tax revenue going into the fund, as ABC15 explains. The current predicament is that revenue from Chase Field’s non-baseball events, over 150 annually, feeds into a reserve that cannot singularly shoulder the ballpark’s vital maintenance, estimated at a half-billion dollar expense, according to Amilyn Pierce, the Diamondbacks’ VP of government affairs, who cited urgent needs.
And, elsewhere…
[ESPN] Jazz Chisholm Jr. crosses plate without both shoes – Shoeless Jazz crossed the plate, a century after Shoeless Joe. Both of Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s cleats flew off his feet as he scored from second base in the New York Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles in an unusual morning start Sunday. “I was so sweaty. My socks were wet. Everything had just slipped straight out,” he said. After he reached the dugout, Chisholm stretched out with his stockinged feet on the bench. He put on a fresh pair of socks and then his spikes, and Chisholm asked rookie Jasson Domínguez to tie the laces. “They say he’s the best shoe tier,” Chisholm recalled in the postgame clubhouse. “I didn’t understand it until he actually did. It took me like a minute to take off my shoes just now.”
[The Catholic Thing] Might Pope Leo make Fr. Michael McGivney the patron saint of baseball? – Baseball doesn’t have an official patron saint, a holy man or woman recognized by the Catholic Church as an especially potent intercessor for a particular place, group or activity. But Pope Leo XIV, a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan who, as Pope, has sported the South Side club’s trademark black-and-white ballcap and joined in a “White Sox” chant in St. Peter’s Square, may have a chance to take a swing at it. Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus is a good candidate.
[MLB] Why one of MLB’s most jacked players watches Tom and Jerry cartoons – there is one key to his time in the gym, and to his career, that you probably wouldn’t expect. An endearing, charming quality to the 6-foot-1, 235-pound All-Star. Tom and Jerry episodes. Every single day. “When I’m working out, I always try to watch Tom and Jerry for like an hour,” Díaz told me, smiling. “It clears my mind, it relaxes me.” The ultimate question was if Díaz cheered for Tom or Jerry. The much bigger, but usually on the losing end, cat; or the smaller, but much more clever, mouse. He had an answer that maybe everyone can relate to. “There are times I cheer for Tom, other times I cheer for Jerry,” Diaz said. “It just depends on the day.”