Diamondbacks Game Preview #25: Diamondbacks @ Marlins

Ketel Marte returns to the lineup, still batting third and manning second base. Recent hot bat, Jordan Luplow will be the DH. The right-handed hitting Luplow’s numbers against left-handed pitching suggest he should start most any game in which the opposition chooses to start a left-handed pitcher. Nick Ahmed and Carson Kelly are also both known for feasting on left-handed pitching, so the initial matchup looks favourable for Arizona.

Pitching Matchup

Humberto Castellanos 1-1 (5.79 ERA) vs Trevor Rogers 1-3 (5.09 ERA)

Humberto Castellanos gets another go on the bump for Arizona as they continue to weigh options for a permanent fifth starter. Some of this particular decision is likely the result of how the schedule and rest days line up. In his previous three outings, Castellanos has only managed a total of 11.0 innings pitched. His last outing was an especially rough one, as he only lasted two innings while giving up five runs against the Cardinals in St. Louis. Castellanos features a four-pitch mix consisting primarily of a fastball, slider, and a cutter. He also has a change up he keeps in his back pocket until he breaks it out slightly under 10% of the time. Fist fastball sits 88-92, depending on the gun. He’ll need to find a way to keep hitters off balance if he is going to do something about his 35% hard-hit rate with the average exit velocity on balls in play in excess of 90 mph. Do not be surprised if Castellanos is on a short leash today, especially as it is likely that both Corbin Martin and Luis Frias should be available for extending outings coming from the bullpen.

The left-handed Trevor Rogers will take the mound for Miami. Last seasons NL Rookie of the Year runner-up is not off to the sort of start that many were expecting from him. After putting together a stellar 2021 that featured a 158 ERA+ (2.64 ERA, 133.0 IP, 25 GS), Rogers is currently 1-3, having pitched only 17.1 innings in his four starts so far this season. However, expected results say that he has been somewhat unlucky his year in getting hung with his current 5.09 ERA. Rogers features a fastball, slider, changeup repertoire. For the Diamondbacks, the key will be to make Rogers bring his pitches into the zone. If Arizona can continue to show the same excellent ability to take walks that they have shown all season so far, Rogers’ own issues with control could serve to facilitate yet another quick exit for the southpaw. On the other hand, Rogers’ fastball, which sits around 94-95, has some decent movement on it and the Snakes will need to be cautious not to take too many of those down the pipe in their effort to elevate Rogers’ pitch count.

Other Tasty Tidbits

Josh Rojas begins his rehab stint in AAA-Reno today