Corbin Carroll on the Way to Washington to Join Diamondbacks

As the Diamondbacks gear up for a big series against the Nationals, they'll breathe a sigh of relief that their centerfielder will join them after an injury scare.

May 31, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Corbin Carroll (7) hits a single against the New York Mets during the fifth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks got good news today as they prepare for their series against the Washington Nationals. As reported by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, Corbin Carroll's MRI on his sore left rib cage showed no significant injury.

The outfielder worked out at Salt River Fields and was cleared to get on a plane and rejoin the team. He could possibly be in the lineup Tuesday night.

That should help the D-backs stay hot. They're coming off their 5th consecutive series without a series loss. They did exactly what they had to, going 4-2 over an important stretch against struggling clubs in the Angels and White Sox and have set themselves up masterfully to reclaim their position in the middle of the playoff race. Next stop? A trip to Americas capitol.

The Washinton Nationals have been a struggling franchise since their World Series victory in 2019. That franchise core has since split ways, but the team they left behind has never been quite the same.

2024 may be a different story for the young Nationals however. Fans in the capitol city finally have some form of hope. An up and coming core centered around C.J. Abrams, and a pitching staff with some potential has them in the thick of Pennant race. The Nationals find themselves half a game ahead of the Diamondbacks at a 35-36 record, sitting tied for a Wild Card spot with the San Diego Padres.

The Diamondbacks season may have gotten off to a rocky start but things have looked much better for Arizona as of late. The D-Backs have played to a 10-5 record since the beginning of June even while battling some of the leagues worst injuries.

Injury Roundup

Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Eduardo Rodriguez are still on the injured list and will remain there for this series against the Nationals. The top of the rotation mates each have a different time table, with Zac Gallen being a good deal ahead of the other two. Eduardo Rodriguez is continuing his throwing program with things moving in a positive direction for the veteran lefty. Merrill Kelly's situation though is more dire.

Manager Torey Lovullo confirmed to the press during the last series that Kelly would likely not return until after the All Star break. The exact extent of this delay is still not clear, but his injury was expected to put him on the shelf for an extended period of time when he first went down. The loss of Kelly has been a big one for the D-Backs, as he was their best pitcher in the early goings of the year, and was a consistent force at the top of the rotation.

Alek Thomas is on the brink of returning. This is not the first time we have felt this close to the young center fielders return but it is certainly the best we have felt about it. He has been working his way back to the field since the second series of the year but has faced multiple setbacks. He is taking part in a rehab assignment with AAA Reno and the team is hopeful that his return will come when the Diamondbacks return home from this road trip.

Pitching Matchups

Tuesday, June 18th, 3:45 PM

Slade Cecconi RHP, 1-5, 6.70 ERA, 5.99 FIP in 44.1 IP. Cecconi is on a relatively poor stretch of starts. He failed to go more than 3 against the Angels while allowing 7 ER. His inability to face lineups more than once has almost flipped as opponents are jumping on him early.

Jake Irvin RHP, 5-5, 3.00 ERA, 3.24 FIP in 81 IP. Irvin has been dominant. Not just dominant, but also consistent. He is on a stretch of 5 straight starts while going 6+ IP and allowing 2 or less runs. He is giving his team a win every turn around the rotation and giving them length while doing it.

Wednsday, June 19th, 1:05 PM

Brandon Pfaadt RHP, 3-5, 4.38 ERA, 3.41 FIP in 84.1 IP. Pfaadt had a big rebound start against the Angels his last time out, going 6 innings of 1 run ball. He was previously coming off 3 mediocre starts. Pfaadt is a key member of the rotation, and likely will be a deciding factor in this series of young starters.

Patrick Corbin LHP, 1-7, 5.84 ERA, 5.14 FIP in 77 IP. Corbin is once again not having the best of years. He has fallen a long way since his first season with the Nationals in 2019. Corbin was a two-time All Star for the Diamondbacks in 2013 and 2018. In four previous starts against his former team he's 0-3 with a 10.80 ERA. His last time out was solid against the Tigers, allowing only 1 in 5.1 innings.

Thursday, June 20th, 10:05 AM

Ryne Nelson RHP, 4-5, 5.49 ERA, 4.30 FIP in 57.1 IP. Nelson was fantastic in his last start. He struck out a career high 8 batters in 6 innings while only allowing 1 run. He will look to make a trend out of his new found swing and miss against the Nats.

MacKenzie Gore LHP, 6-5, 3.24 ERA, 2.93 FIP in 75 IP. Gore has been exceptional this season aside from two hiccups against the Mets and Blue Jays. He is coming off a great start against the Marlins, going 7 innings and allowing just one run.

Who's Hot, Who's Not?

The Diamondbacks offensive production over the last 6 games. / Jack Sommers

The Diamondbacks have been hitting well as a collective recently. As a team they have hit .300 over their last 6 games, with only two players having an OPS under .800.

Randal Grichuk was given more opportunities against righties in the last week and managed to deliver. He has hit .333 with a 1.345 OPS in 14 at bats. With Alek Thomas' return looming it will likely mean that there will be less at bats available to outfielders, including Grichuk, however he is making a strong case to earn more regardless of handedness.

Joc Pederson has been once again crushing the ball. His 1.131 OPS in the last 6 games ranks 3rd on the team, and highest among players to play in all 6. He belted 2 home runs with 10 RBI good for the most runs batted in of any Dbacks hitter in that span.

Chritian Walker may be the definition of hot right now. His 4 home runs over the last 6 games rank first on the team, at one point hitting 3 in 4 at bats. He is once again driving the ball with authority and brinigng in runs consistently. His 1.000 OPS is 4th on the Diamondbacks in the last 6 games.

Blaze Alexander has not been given many opportunities in the last week with Eugenio Suarez batting well and Geraldo Perdomo returning from the injured list. In the 3 games he got into he batted only .111 with a .311 OPS, worst on the team.

The Nationals offensive production over the last 6 games. / Jack Sommers

The Nationals are a far more top heavy offensive team than the Diamondbacks. They have a team OPS of .765 and have 3 hitters with an OPS over 1.000. They also however have 4 players with a sub .350 OPS.

CJ Abrams is a star. 2024 seems like his big breakout parade as hes hit 11 home runs with a .258 batting average so far. Over the last 6 games he fittingly slots in right at the top of the Nationals offense, boasting a 1.221 OPS with a home run and 5 RBI.

Lane Thomas is one of the Nationals' top Trade Deadline chips, and hes playing like someone who teams will want to trade for. His 1.203 OPS is only slightly behind Abrams' but his 3 Home Runs and 7 RBI lead the team over the last week.

Trey Lipscomb has had a rough week. In 3 games played he is batting .143 with a .286 OPS. He got only 1 hit in that span.

Drew Millas, Nick Senzel, and Eddie Rosario are in a similar boat. They have all struggled to similar degrees over the past week and combined make up the bottom half of the Nationals offensive standings .They each have a .333 individular OPS with a combined 0 RBI, 0 Home Runs, and 5 hits.

The Diamondbacks will have a tough time in this series, sending out 3 young pitchers once again, but need to take advantage of an opportunity to jump the Nationals in the Wild Card standings. This series could have large implictions later in the season.