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Preview, #59: Arizona Diamondbacks @ Miami Marlins

Keys to the game: avoid being no-hit, m'kay? Especially you, Rey Fuentes...

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Today's Lineups

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS MIAMI MARLINS
Daniel Descalso - 2B Dee Gordon - 2B
Chris Herrmann - LF Giancarlo Stanton - RF
Paul Goldschmidt - 1B Christian Yelich - CF
Jake Lamb - 3B Marcell Ozuna - LF
Chris Owings - RF Derek Dietrich - 3B
Chris Iannetta - C Tyler Moore - 1B
Nick Ahmed - SS A.J. Ellis - C
Reymond Fuentes - CF J.T. Riddle - SS
Braden Shipley - RHP Vance Worley - RHP

I've gone through the five stages of grief with regard to Rey Fuentes. Or rather, six, because there's an extra one of "Vowing never to trust stats produced in Reno ever again". Because the man who batted .376 for the Aces is now hitting .337 as a Diamondback. And when I say "hitting", that's his OPS, not his batting average. If his season ended today - and with both Socrates Brito and A.J. Pollock well into their rehabs, it really cannot be far off - Fuentes's line would be .136/.156/.182, for that .337 OPS. It's an OPS+ of -13. Yes, that's a negative sign. For comparison, our entire pitching staff has an OPS of .,313.

It would be the lowest OPS by any position player with 40+ PA in Diamondbacks' history, undercutting the .364 put up by Tony Campana in 2014. But, it has to be said, there have been MUCH worse elsewhere, peaking in Eugenio Velez who finished his career in 2011 with the Los Angeles Dodgers by going 0-for-40. He became the only non-pitcher ever to go hitless in a season with forty or more at-bats, though did pick up two walks for an OPS of .075. Fuentes isn't even the worst hitter in baseball this year. There are four with lower OPSs in 40+ PA - two of them on the Royals (Raul Mondesi and Paulo Orlando).

The current worst is Jacob May of the Chicago White Sox, who made their Opening Day roster as a rookie. He isn't there any more, after starting his major-league career 0-for-26.. He was optioned to the minors on May 2, having hit .056/.150/.056 for a .206 OPS. In a case of dueling statements of the bleedin' obvious, May said "I definitely have to get better," while manager Rick Renteria told reporters that May was "a little overmatched". Fuentes is batting eighth in today's line-up, so we'll monitor the situation. It may be Fuentes's lasting place in Diamondbacks lore will be crashing into an opposing pitcher as he started a no-hitter against us.