Snake Bytes, 5/24: Synchronise your Cron-ographs...

Team news

[AZ Central] Sources: Diamondbacks nearing promotion of Triple-A slugger Kevin Cron - Where he will fit on the Diamondbacks roster remains to be seen. He has played primarily first base throughout his minor league career but also has seen time at third, where he is considered passable, at best. Cron could steal at-bats from the club’s current first baseman, Christian Walker, who has struggled badly in recent weeks. In his past 15 games, Walker is hitting .148 with 22 strikeouts in 60 plate appearances. The Diamondbacks offense has gone ice cold, scoring three runs or less in 11 of the past 16 games. During that stretch, they are hitting .216 as a team. They have scored two runs or less in four consecutive games.

[Arizona Sports] Offense, newcomers key to D-backs through 50 games - The Diamondbacks are showing classic traits of an average offense. For the most part, the pitching has been there for the Diamondbacks. The starters are ninth in total WAR in the majors, per Fangraphs, while the bullpen falls behind but not to a drastic, disastrous degree at 20th. The offense has been holding the Diamondbacks back, and especially so lately. Over the past 28 days, the offense as a whole has slashed .228/.303/.409 and mustered a total of seven runs in the last four games.

[The Athletic] With two new pitches, Diamondbacks starter Luke Weaver is breaking out - Bothered by his frustrating sophomore effort in the big leagues, Weaver spent his offseason devoted to improving his arsenal. He wanted an effective third pitch. That mission has been a success and then some. Weaver not only has refined his cutter into an effective weapon, but he’s entirely reshaped his fringy curveball. Their additions have paved the way for a second breakout for the young pitcher, who has a stellar 3.14 ERA and 26.6-percent strikeout rate through 10 starts this season. He’s still predominantly fastball-changeup guy, but he’s no longer only that.

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks starting rotation has been remarkably consistent - Entering play Thursday, the Diamondbacks were tied for second in the National League with 23 quality starts: going at least six innings allowing no more than three runs. “I love the idea that our guys are pitching into the sixth inning and through the sixth inning,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I didn’t know that statistic (about the quality starts), but they’re a very good group of starting pitchers that we’re going to rely on every night. I think the success of our team is going to be built upon starting pitching.”

[Arizona Sports] Nightengale: Teams watching D-backs' Zack Greinke with trade in mind - “The Phillies have room to spare in that payroll,” Nightengale told Doug & Wolf Thursday on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. “They were there specifically to watch Greinke in his last start. The Yankees are around, so teams are watching right now. It’s the case too where the more the Diamondbacks buy down that contract, the better the prospects there can be. If they’re willing to eat more of that thing, there’s more in return.”

And, elsewhere...

Garrett Cooper hit a grand-slam with two outs in the ninth inning to give the Marlins a come-from-behind win over the Tigers. They won 5-2, and the victory meant Miami has the longest active winning streak in the majors, as six consecutive games. In the entire month prior to this current streak started, last Friday, the Marlins won... six games. It’s the first time the Marlins have swept consecutive series since 2012. As a result of the streak, Miami are now on pace to lose just one hundred and seven games this season. They currently have the same number of losses as the Nationals...

In 3,452 regular-season games, the D-backs have never hit more than six home-runs in a game. Meanwhile, the Twins hit EIGHT home-runs yesterday afternoon... for the second time in little more than a month (they previously did so on April 20). Seven of those blasts were measured at over 400 feet, a record in the Statcast era. Matt Harvey alone gave up 1.732 feet worth of home-runs, which is almost one-third of a mile of dongs, and didn’t even get through three innings.

[SI] MLB has an issue with number of fake injuries teams lean on - The league requires the team doctor and MLB medical director to certify each injury, and the team in question must share supporting documentation. The commissioner’s office can investigate injuries it deems to be suspicious. It’s not that simple, though. No pitcher in history has returned a clean MRI. Some teams try to avoid administering such tests because there is no way to tell which damage is old and which is new. Anyone who wants to can find an injury on a scan. There is a likely apocryphal tale of a player, as reporters approach to ask about his impending IL stint, asking his manager which leg he hurt.