Diamondbacks Face Braves for Yilber Diaz's MLB Debut

The Diamondbacks return home and prepare for Yilber Diaz's MLB debut against Atlanta as Arizona continues to battle in a tight Wild Card race.

Amarillo Sod Poodles Yilber Diaz (17) pitches the ball in a Texas League Championship game against the Arkansas Travelers, Tuesday night, September 26, 2023, at Hodgetown, in Amarillo, Texas. The Arkansas Travelers won 6-5. / Carter Pirtle for the Amarillo

The Arizona Diamondbacks return home today on the heels of a thrilling road trip against two division rivals. Every game was either a nailbiting duel, or a massive slugfest which made for 6 fantastic slates of baseball for D-backs fans. The club managed to go an impressive 4-2 against the Dodgers and Padres, and will need to continue to play well as they are met in Phoenix by the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves have been hailed as one of the best clubs in the MLB for years now, with a strong culture and increadible depth. 2024 however has been a strong test for Atlanta. Injuries have hurt them significantly with both reigning MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. and ace pitcher Spencer Strider being out for the season.

Coming into the year as favorites to win the NL East they have since fallen behind to the Philladelphia Phillies who have blossomed into one of the best clubs in the league. While the Braves have fallen 8 games back of the division lead, they hold a 3 game buffer in the Wild Card standings ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals.

This 4 game series against the Braves continues a very difficult stretch for Arizona that is testing the team's metal. So far they have done well, winning 3 consecutive series and 6 of their last 8 games.

While all games in this series have a special competitive edge, tonight's matchup brings something extra special. Before the game, the Diamondbacks recalled Yilber Diaz, their #16 prospect who will start against Atlanta.

Starting Pitchers

Yilber Diaz, 1-3, 3.27 ERA, 3.78 FIP in 22 IP in AAA

Diaz will make his MLB debut today at Chase Field. Like Cristian Mena last week, Diaz will be thrown from the frying pan into the fire against a tough Braves lineup. Still, the young righty seems like he could be up for the task.

His last start with AAA Reno showed why the team has faith in him to take this spot. He went 6 shutout innings with 13 strikeouts and only 2 walks. Diamondbacks fans should be excited to see another part of their young future take the mound today.

Manager Torey Lovullo spoke on Diaz's incredible climb to the majors today. "It's a great story. A lot of people have touched his life, and he's accepted some great coaching and has grown up in our system."

Diaz is one of many young arms that have come up through the Diamondbacks organization in recent years, and joins Brandon Pfaadt, Slade Cecconi, and Ryne Nelson in the active rotation.

"The Command has been improving rapidly", Lovullo said. "His last outing with Reno was a successful one, and we want that to be the case here. We want to tell all our (young pitchers) that it's the same game, the same plate size, young just have to throw the pitches where you want, and follow the game plan. He is ready for this opportunity."

Diaz has climbed the ranks quickly this year, showing out early while still with AA Amarillo, and recently being promoted to the Reno Aces. "He's got a great opportunity to shine." said Lovullo, and infront of a great home crowd at Chase Field he will be ready to make his mark in a close Wild Card race early.

Bryce Elder, 1-3, 5.76 ERA, 4.69 FIP in 29.2 IP

Elder is coming off a solid 2023 campaign but has lost his footing in 2024. He has been in the minors for much of the season so far, only making 6 starts with Atlanta to this point. While his ERA sits at a near 6 clip his FIP in a small sample could suggest some positive regression. Still, his 6.98 K/9 leaves the Diamondbacks who are a good team at not striking out in a favorable matchup.

Lineups

Game 91.

⌚️ 6:40pm
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🏟️ @ChaseField pic.twitter.com/5KgW38bAwA

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 8, 2024

The Diamondbacks offense has been clicking recently. They found success in San Diego scoring late in games, something that they had been lacking in earlier in the year. They have scored at least 5 runs in each of their last 7 games and at least 7 runs in their last 5.

A big part of Arizona's last win was Eugenio Suarez. The D-backs 3rd baseman has been struggling mightily to start the year but has shown some very positive signs as of late. Since June 25th Suarez has a .343/.452/.571 slash line with a 1.024 OPS with a 189 wRc+.

His plate discipline has also taken an upward turn. His bat coming to life would be a massive boost to the Diamondbacks lineup and would alleviate some stress from other parts of the order.

Christian Walker has gone on a tear, being snubbed of an All-Star selection to this point and missing out on player of the week to Brenton Doyle. Over the past week, he has hit 5 home runs, all of which came in LA, tallied 11 hits, and drove in an incredible 11 runs.

📍Out west #BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/FtjXWNbdC9

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 8, 2024

Jarred Kelenic was one of the more interesting additions to the Braves roster over the off-season. He was acquired in a deal with the Seattle Mariners last winter and has thrived in his new home. Currently the former top prospect wields a 115 wRc+ with 1.3 WAR. He has hit in 4 of his last 6 with a home run, but is an easy power threat at the leadoff spot.

There is some thump missing from the Braves lineup with Ronald Acuna Jr out for the year but Marcell Ozuna is picking up some of that lost weight with a fantastic year. His 162 wRc+ at DH has placed him in MVP discussions early this year and earned him an All-Star selection. Hitting 5th in today's lineup for Atlanta, his already 23 home runs will have to be navigated around in this series.

The Arizona Diamondbacks take on the Atlanta Braves at 6:40 PM Arizona Time at Chase Field. Keep locked in on 'Inside the Diamondbacks' as we continue to bring you live coverage on all things D-backs!