Diamondbacks offense, defense take a hit as A.J. Pollock hits the disabled list

Pollock has a strained right groin, and he's a tough player for Arizona to replace

The Arizona Diamondbacks have lost one of their most indispensable players, as center fielder A.J. Pollock has been placed on the disabled list with a strained groin. There's no immediate word as to how long Pollock will be out, but groin strains can linger. It will be weeks and by then he'll probably need a minor-league rehab assignment to get back up to speed. 

The Diamondbacks were awful last season for several reasons, but chief among them was run prevention. The pitching was bad and some of that could be attributed to a downright pitiful defense. Losing Pollock just days before the season was a crushing blow on both sides of the field. They were just never able to find a suitable replacement for the two-way stud. 

So far this season, the Diamondbacks have played good baseball and the defense has been improved. They have been excellent offensively, for the most part. 

Losing Pollock obviously damages both aspects. He's hitting .299/.337/.455 with 12 doubles and 11 stolen bases while playing quality defense at a premium up-the-middle position. 

The replacement on the big-league roster will be Reymond Fuentes. The 26-year-old outfielder has 80 plate appearances of big-league experience in his career, posting a .243/.300/.257 line. He's hit well in Triple-A this season, hitting .376/.403/.481 with nine stolen bases. Of course, that's in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. 

Fuentes does have experience in center. It's limited in the majors, but it's been his primary position in the minors, appearing there in 582 games in nine seasons. 

Nick Ahmed and Gregor Blanco are also options in center. All are obviously a big step back from Pollock.