Recaps
[AZ Central] Merrill Kelly's spot in Arizona Diamondbacks rotation up in the air - Lovullo was asked if the stakes of a playoff race have left the Diamondbacks weighing their rotation options in light of Kelly’s issues. “I’ll tell you what, that’s where we’re at right now: No playing time is guaranteed, no next starts are guaranteed,” Lovullo said. “It’s something we’re constantly evaluating and trying to push forward with the best decisions moving to the next day. I’m sure we’ll have some discussions. At this point, I don’t know. I don’t know that answer.”
[dbacks.com] D-backs can't solve Lyles as bats stay quiet - First baseman Christian Walker was the only D-backs player to reach base until Jarrod Dyson walked to lead off the ninth inning. Walker walked in his two plate appearances vs. Lyles before breaking up the no-hitter in the seventh inning against Brewers reliever Devin Williams. “[Lyles] is a good pitcher to begin with,” Walker said. “I think he was a little extra good tonight. He was throwing his fastball where he wanted. That thing’s got some life to it. If you want to call it high spin or ride through the zone or finish, but his fastball was pretty good tonight."
Team News
[AZ Central] Diamondbacks putting Daulton Varsho’s versatility to the test
- Varsho started in center field in two games for Double-A Jackson this week, his first exposure at a position other than catcher in parts of three seasons in the minors. General Manager Mike Hazen said the feedback he has received thus far has been limited, but, like others in the organization, he has little doubt about Varsho’s ability to play the outfield. “We just feel like we have an athlete that we’re going to want to expose to different places on the diamond,” Hazen said. “And he rakes. It’s about giving him every opportunity in the future to impact our major-league roster.”
[AZ Family] Peralta named Best of The Valley - He's been the man since joining the Arizona DiamondBacks in 2014. Now going into his seventh season the community has fallen in love with David Peralta. The beloved outfielder was named Best Diamondbacks Player by Phoenix Magazine readers. He didn't even know about the honor. Arizona's Family broke the news to him. "You got me by surprise right now. But I am really excited that I didn't know you guys chose me for that. I'm really happy I am having an impact in this community. Not just Diamondbacks fans but outside of baseball and everything," Peralta says.
[Arizona Sports] D-backs taking full advantage of Players' Weekend with special cleats, more - Described as MLB’s version of “casual Friday,” players are allowed to go above and beyond with their cleats, equipment and more. For the D-backs, this will take place in Milwaukee against the Brewers for three games, starting on Friday. D-backs left fielder David Peralta came prepared with his own special “Dragon Ball Z” themed cleats.
And, elsewhere...
[SI] History of nicknames on jerseys in baseball - Friday marks the start of the third season of MLB Players' Weekend, the annual August promotion which, as you probably know, features players on all 30 teams wearing nicknames on the back of their jerseys, instead of their surnames (or in the case of the Yankees, instead of nothing at all). What you might not know, however, is that a decent number of MLB players, including at least two Hall of Famers, wore nicknames on their backs well before the advent of Players' Weekend
[ESPN] Mets strike out 26 to tie MLB record - The New York Mets tied a major league record with 26 strikeouts in Friday night's 2-1 home loss to the Atlanta Braves in 14 innings. Seven members of New York's bullpen combined to match the effort of ace Jacob deGrom, who spotted the Mets 13 strikeouts before exiting after seven innings with the score tied 1-1. The Mets are the fifth team to record 26 strikeouts in a game, and they're the second of those five to lose the game, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
[FanGraphs] Bellinger, Devers, and MLB’s Most Improved Position Players - 7. Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks. At bat, on the bases, and in the field, Marte has improved every major area of his game. While taking up center field (where he’s been outstanding to the tune of 7.6 UZR), he’s gone from a modest 104 wRC+ (.260/.332/.437) to a sizzling 141 (.319/.381/.574), while nearly doubling his home run output (from 14 to 27). His 5.7 WAR is topped only by Yelich, Bellinger, and Trout. Welcome to flavor country. [Nick Ahmed is also ranked, coming in at #18]