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The Diamondbacks made a roster move before today’s game, putting Braden Shipley on the DL with elbow soreness, and pulling up... Who else? Silvino Bracho from the Reno Aces, starting his fifteenth stint with the club. Got to think that has to be something close to a franchise record. One of these days, I’m going to write up the transaction history of Bracho, and figure out how many miles he has traveled up and down during those 15 call-ups and 14 (to date...) optionings back down. He probably doesn’t even bother to unpack when he gets back to Reno these days. Just puts his bag by the door, and waits beside it like a puppy, until the phone rings...
Very right-handed line-up tonight to go against Hill. It’s a little unusual, as he doesn’t have particularly big splits. Over his career, right-handed batters have an OPS only five points better, and even this year, when he has been struggling generally, the gap is only 45 points. The weird thing this year is his K:BB splits. Hill has struck out 14 right-handed hitters, while walking only one. But against left-handers, which should be his strong side, he has fanned only two, while issuing six bases on balls. It’s all very strange. Still, as long as the net result is a steady stream of Diamondbacks crossing home-plate, it’s not our problem...
This does mean Chris Owings starting at third-base tonight, which is... novel. To the extent that it will be the first inning he has played there in his entire professional career. This doesn’t exactly inspire massive confidence, especially since he’s likely going to be busy with ground-ball heavy Zack Godley on the mound for the Diamondbacks. However, this is the man who stepped up to become our 2016 Opening Day starter in center-field, despite a similar lack of experience, and didn’t embarrass himself. At least this should stop him from running into A.J. Pollock! And also tonight:
Mark Grace will fill in for Bob Brenly during the @Dbacks & Dodgers series Tuesday & Wednesday on @FOXSPORTSAZ
— Brett Hansen (@bretthansen5) May 7, 2018
Bob just getting a couple of days off, so Grace gets to return to the booth where he say with Daron Sutton on an everyday basis until... Well, the water is still murky about the reasons behind Sutton’s departure, and perhaps not murky enough about Grace’s. Be good to have him back though; shame it’s not a Throwback Thursday, as his presence would surely have been ideal for that!