The Arizona Diamondbacks have scratched right-hander Zac Gallen from his scheduled start on Wednesday and placed him on the injured list because of a "minor sprain of one section of his UCL in his right elbow," according to what manager Torey Lovullo told reporters during his pregame press session.
Gallen missed the beginning of the season after suffering an injury to his UCL while swinging the bat. Now, he's expected to be sidelined for at least the next several weeks, at which point the Diamondbacks will reassess his situation.
Gallen, 28, has been one of the best starting pitchers in the majors since debuting in 2019. (The Diamondbacks later acquired him from the Miami Marlins in exchange for Jazz Chisholm at that trade deadline.) In five starts this season, he had accumulated a 3.04 ERA (137 ERA+) and a 2.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 26 innings. It's perhaps worth noting that he'd shown worse control than usual, as he was issuing a free pass every other inning. His velocity was right in line with his norm, however.
In addition to Gallen, the Diamondbacks also placed first baseman Christian Walker on the injured list (oblique) and promoted right-hander Seth Frankoff and infielder Andrew Young. Fellow infielder Wyatt Mathieson was designated for assignment to clear room. Gallen and Walker join Ketel Marte, Kole Calhoun, Taylor Widener, and Tyler Clippard as notable members of the Diamondbacks who are on the shelf.
Coming into play on Wednesday, the Diamondbacks had a 17-19 record on the season, putting them five games behind in the National League West. According to Sportsline's projections, the Diamondbacks have an 8.7 percent shot at making the playoffs. Obviously a prolonged absence from Gallen will cause their postseason chances to plummet.
