Game #56 Preview: 6/7, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Mets

Jacob deGrom RHP, 6-4, 2.41

Josh Collmenter RHP, 3-5, 5.03

Curtis Granderson - RF	Ender Inciarte - RF
Ruben Tejada - 2B	A.J. Pollock - CF
Lucas Duda - 1B	Paul Goldschmidt - 1B
Michael Cuddyer - LF	David Peralta - LF
Wilmer Flores - SS	Jake Lamb - 3B
Juan Lagares - CF	Chris Owings - 2B
Eric Campbell - 3B	Jarrod Saltalamacchia - C
Kevin Plawecki - C	Nick Ahmed - SS
Jacob deGrom - RHP	Josh Collmenter - RHP

In case you missed the news after last night's game, there's another roster move. We optioned Dominic Leone to Reno, and today, taking his spot will be David Hernandez, completing his return from Tommy John surgery. As with everyone else, it has been a long road back for Hernandez [ok, Daniel Hudson, you can stop snorting derisively from the bullpen], David having last pitched in the majors more than 18 months ago, in the final game of the 2013 season. It was so long, that his name no longer automatically brought up his Baseball Reference page when I typed "Davi..." into my browser.

Hernandez blew his elbow out in spring training the following year, and had the operation on March 24. It was particularly deflating since, after a shaky middle section to 2013, resulting in a trip to Reno, Hernandez had apparently turned it around, with a really strong September (14 innings, one earned run, 16 strikeouts), and we were looking to lean upon him as our 8th-inning guy, in the same way we did in 2012, when he threw 68.1 innings, with a 2.50 ERA.. Here's hoping his return can be as successful as it appears (touch wood, fingers crossed, etc) Huddy's has been, but like Hudson we should expect a period of adjustment.

In Hudson's first 11 games this year, he had an ERA of six. with 17 hits and five walks in 15 innings. But over his last nine, he hasn't allowed an earned run, with seven hits and two walks in 10.2 innings. The K numbers have also sharply increased, with 14 K's. On the same basis, we should probably not expect too much out of Hernandez until perhaps August, with the rest of June and July spent re-acclimatizing himself back to pitching in the majors, and rediscovering how to get batters out. Given he's pitching with a new elbow, it has to be thought of as a new experience. It's great to have him back.