Snake Bytes 4/13: Save a Rotation Spot. Ride a Horse.

Arizona Diamondbacks News

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen set to return from injured list; Christian Walker now out - Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen will be making his return from the injured list on Tuesday, but based on the way he felt, he might have never needed it in the first place. Gallen said the first few days after he was told in late March that he had a hairline fracture in his right forearm were the best his arm had felt all spring training. He understood the reasoning for holding off and letting time run its course, but he couldn’t help but feel frustrated. “I was walking around Salt River those couple of days saying, ‘I could give you seven innings tonight,’” Gallen said. “I really wasn’t joking. I felt that good.”

[Arizona Sports] D-backs place 1B Christian Walker on 10-day IL with right oblique strain - Just when it seemed everything was going the Diamondbacks’ way, the team was hit with an injury to the starting lineup ahead of Arizona’s series opener against the Oakland Athletics. The team placed first baseman Christian Walker on the 10-day injured list Monday with a right oblique strain. Additionally, the team recalled INF/OF Andrew Young from the alternate training site. Walker was absent from the starting lineup Monday after being pulled late in Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Reds. “He has the normal aches and pains and I just wanted to give his body a break. Get him off the field yesterday in anticipation of combining that with a day off today,” Lovullo said ahead of Walker moving to the 10-day IL.

[The Athletic] Tim Raines on Tim Locastro, the former pupil who just broke his stolen-base record: ‘I didn’t have to teach him much’ - [Tim] Raines remembers [Tim] Locastro being very raw but eager to learn. “He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen,” Raines said. (Raines also remembers Locastro’s uncanny ability to draw a plunking, a skill that showed up even then: “He gets right on top of the plate, and he’s not moving.”) Working in groups with Toronto’s young hitters, Raines taught the difference between aggression and carelessness, something Locastro already seemed to understand. “Those are things that are hard to teach,” Raines said, “to anticipate but not be overaggressive.”

Around the League

[Auburn Wire] Casey Mize earns first MLB win with seven-inning gem - Casey Mize showed the Houston Astros how good he can be on the mound on Monday night. The former Auburn star and No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft struck out five and allowed just four hits and two walks in seven scoreless frames, picking up his first MLB win in a 6-2 Detroit Tigers’ victory. It took Mize just 89 pitches — 62 of which were strikes — to get through the seven innings as the Tigers gave him more than enough run support with two runs apiece in the second, third and fifth innings.

[Yahoo Sports] MLB umpire Joe West wins $500K defamation suit against ex-player who accused him of rigging strike zone - (This one will hurt the pocketbook. Depending on your insurer, libel and slander may not be covered under your homeowners insurance policy. It can occasionally be covered under an umbrella policy. Something tells me Paul Lo Duca didn’t have one considering the fact that he didn’t appear in court to address the complaint.) Joe West is a regular butt of jokes about poor MLB umpiring. One former player’s story about the umpire cost the player six figures. West sued four-time MLB All-Star Paul Lo Duca for defamation after Lo Duca accused him on a podcast of trading strike calls for off-field favors. A Manhattan Supreme Court judge ruled in West’s favor Monday and ordered Lo Duca to pay him $500,000 plus interest. Lo Duca accused West of changing the strike zone in favor of former New York Mets pitcher Billy Wagner in exchange for use of Wagner’s 1957 Chevy. West accused Lo Duca of fabricating the story and consequently harming his chances of making the Hall of Fame. Judge John Kelley agreed with West and ruled in his favor Monday after Lo Duca declined to appear in court or to address the allegations.

[MLB Trade Rumors] Nationals Reinstate Three From COVID List; Designate Jonathan Lucroy For Assignment - The Nationals announced a series of roster moves as they continue to bring players back from the COVID-19 list. Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber, and Josh Harrison are all back from COVID protocols and are active for today’s game. Infielder Luis Garcia and outfielder Yadiel Hernandez were optioned to the alternate training site but will remain on the Nats’ taxi squad, while left-hander T.J. McFarland and righty Ryne Harper were sent to the alternate site. As well, catcher Jonathan Lucroy was designated for assignment. Jon Lester is the only player still on the COVID-related injury list, as the Nationals have just about all of their roster back following the coronavirus outbreak that forced the team to postpone its first four games of the season.