Diamondbacks Gameday Thread, #92: 7/14 @ Blue Jays

Roster moves

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves:

• Reinstated LHP Tyler Gilbert from the Paternity List.
• Optioned RHP Carlos Vargas to Triple-A Reno.

Very much a “while you were out...” kinda thing. Vargas successfully dodged any appearances during the brief time he was on the roster. It’s still just the five games in the first half of April for him. Gilbert will likely take over the Drey Jameson role, now that the latter is on the shelf for the foreseeable future. Last I heard, the team was seeking a “second opinion” on the UCL injury. Which, if previous experience of that inquiry is anything to go by, typically means asking someone else if they’ll carry out Tommy John surgery. I would like to be pleasantly surprised, but I think the next time we see Jameson on a major-league mound is likely to be towards the end of 2024.

Ranking the power rankings

Annoyingly, a slight change is required, because FOX Sports are still lazily only doing a top 10 teams. Not much chance of seeing the Padres and Rockies in there. So for this week and going forward, I’ve switched them out with Yahoo Sports’s power rankings.

• MLB.com: #4 (last week: #4) - “Is it time to worry about the D-backs a little bit? At least, a little? The D-backs did the impossible this week: They gave Mets fans hope. (Hope the Padres would quickly extinguish.) The three losses (all at home) were demoralizing for the D-backs in a different way each night, and that cushion they had in the NL West has suddenly evaporated. The brief injury to Corbin Carroll (who is now back) didn’t help, but it was the pitching — specifically the starting pitching — that got them this week. The D-backs have had a dream first half, and the Dodgers have felt off-kilter and injured — essentially from the get-go. That does not make those two teams any less tied in the standings right now.”
• CBS Sports: #7 (last week: #4) - “Let’s hope Corbin Carroll’s shoulder holds it together.”
• USA Today: #6 (last week: #5) - “Addition of Geraldo Perdomo to All-Star roster well-deserved.”
• Yahoo Sports: #7 (last week on FOX: #5) - “They could end up with the NL Cy Young and MVP with Zac Gallen and Corbin Carroll. While they’ve cooled off lately, the D’backs are hanging tough with the Dodgers atop the NL West standings.”
• ESPN: #5 (last week: #5) - “A lot of the focus among the National League snubs for the All-Star Game centered on Fernando Tatis Jr., but Ketel Marte also seems plenty deserving. The D-backs’ switch-hitting second baseman has slashed .284/.364/.500 through his first 80 games and has contributed 2.2 FanGraphs WAR even though his defense hasn’t graded out all that great. First baseman Christian Walker and shortstop Geraldo Perdomo also made a case to join Corbin Carroll, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Zac Gallen at the Midsummer Classic. In other words: The D-backs, still in first place in the NL West, are really good and really deep, especially on the position-player side.”

NL West rankings

1. Dodgers: 5.2
2. Diamondbacks: 5.8
3. Giants: 11.2
4. Padres: 19.0
5. Rockies: 28.0

Yeah, getting swept by the Mets at home certainly did not do the D-backs any favors in the rankings. Understandable, considering the only other road sweep for the Mets this year was in Oakland: that’s not company any self-respecting side with playoff aspirations wants to be found in. Even taking two of three from the Pirates in the last weekend before the break didn’t help, and on the average score, the D-backs drop back below the Dodgers for the first time snce June 5. Which is not too far from the last time the D-backs dropped back below the Dodgers in the standings as well. We’ll see what the second-half brings!