The Diamondbacks Next Man Up Battle Cry Rings Loudly in 2024

The D-backs have overcome numerous serious injuries to starting players as they arrive on the cusp of a Postseason berth

Sep 15, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jake McCarthy (31) at bat in the fifth inning for a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images / Allan Henry-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks have an 86-68 record. That is already the seventh best win total in the franchise's 27 year history. With eight games remaining they have a chance to also be the seventh team in team in Diamondbacks history to reach 90 wins.

Most importantly of course is that they're in the thick of NL Wild Card race with an excellent chance to reach the Postseason for the second consecutive year. At the moment they hold the second Wild Card Spot, two games behind the San Diego Padres and one game ahead of the New York Mets.

The Braves are three games back of the Diamondbacks, and Arizona's magic number over the Braves is now down to six. That means any combination of D-backs wins and Braves losses totaling six insures Arizona is at the very least the third Wild Card.

The D-backs have had to overcome numerous injuries to both their pitching staff and position players to get to where they are. With the return of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. from the injured list on Friday the current number of players on that list is the shortest it's been all season at five. Below is a look at the players that have filled in and covered for major injuries since the start of the year.

Jake McCarthy earned a spot on the opening day roster due to Randal Grichuk's slower than expected return from offseason ankle surgery. Then just four games into the season, starting centerfielder Alek Thomas went down with a hamstring injury.

While Grichuk was activated April 5, Thomas' absence was an extended one, opening the door for McCarthy to stick. McCarthy has hit .286/.351/.406, .757 OPS, or 110 OPS+. He also has 23 steals and been worth 1.7 WAR. Thomas is currently playing for the Triple-A Reno Aces.

Kevin Newman did not make the opening day roster and was granted his release. He resigned a minor league deal with the team, however, and was called up to replace Geraldo Perdomo on April 4. The All-Star shortstop suffered a torn meniscus and did not return until June 11.

Newman filled in admirably, with solid defense and timely contact hitting playing nearly every day. For the next couple of months Newman filled a utility bench role but in August Ketel Marte suffered a high ankle sprain, and missed over three weeks. Once again Newman stepped into a larger role and played well.

For the year he's batting .282 and has recorded +9 defensive runs saved. His 2.2 WAR in just 307 plate appearances has been a tremendous boon to the team all year.

Ryne Nelson was pushed into the season opening rotation when Eduardo Rodriguez began the year on the injured list with a shoulder strain. Merrill Kelly joined him several weeks later after just four starts with a shoulder strain as well.

While Nelson's season did not get off to a great start, he came on strong when the calendar flipped to July, becoming the team's best starter for two and half months. In 13 games since July 2 he's posted a 3.16 ERA in almost 80 innings. For the full year he has 10-6 record with a 4.33 ERA and 3.76 FIP in 27 games.

Nelson went on the injured list September 11 with elbow inflammation, but is throwing bullpens and could be back the last weekend of the season.

Paul Sewald started the year on the injured list with an oblique strain, missing the first six weeks. Luis Frias went on the IL on April 16 and Miguel Castro followed him four days later.

Into the breach stepped rookie fireballer Justin Martinez, who made his season debut on April 17. After working his way up the ladder into higher leverage situations, Martinez found himself in the closer's role by early August.

Often working multiple innings, Martinez has thrown 69.2 innings in 61 games, and posted a 2.33 ERA. Martinez is 8-for-9 in save opportunities and has nine holds to go with a 5-5 record.

There have been a few bumps in the road, but for the full season he's been unquestionably the team's most valuable reliever. He is currently sharing closer duties with trade deadline pickup A.J. PuK

Adrian Del Castillo was called up when Gabriel Moreno went on the injured list on August 6 with a strained left abductor, (groin). The rookie catcher made an immediate impact with his bat, delivering an RBI double off the top of the left field wall in Cleveland in his first at bat, narrowly missing a homer.

Del Castillo got his first homer in his very next game, a walk off blast against the Phillies that electrified the Chase Field fans. He continued to have some huge games along the way, including hitting a grand slam and driving in six runs in front of 200 family and friends in Miami.

In 25 games Del Castillo hit for a .313/.368/.525 slash line and .893 OPS in 87 plate appearances. He also hit four homers and drove in 19 runs. From the time Del Castillo was called up to the time he was sent back to Triple-A to work on his defense on September 15, the Diamondbacks went 16-9.

Christian Walker suffered an oblique strain and went onto the IL on July 30. The Diamondbacks immediately made a trade for Josh Bell and plugged him into first base. He began his tenure with the D-backs extremely hot, hitting two homers in his first game and four homers in his first six games.

While he subsequently cooled, and his playing time has been limited lately with Walker's return on September 3, Bell's contributions cannot be overlooked.

In 36 games with Arizona the switch hitter batted .278 with a .785 OPS, or 118 OPS+ while driving in 20 runs. His professional approach both on and off the field allowed the team to not skip a beat despite losing Walker for over a month.

Pavin Smith was called up when Ketel Marte finally went on the IL August 19. Smith went 0-for-5 in his first eight plate appearances, but has been on fire since August 25. In his last 20 games he's hit .346/.453/.750 with five homers and 16 RBI.

There have been numerous other players who have contributed throughout the season, but the above are the players who've stood out the most after getting a roster spot due to an injury.