Ryne Nelson to Work out of the Bullpen for Diamondbacks

Torey Lovullo discussed Nelson, Alek Thomas, rotation order and lineups ahead of the the big weekend series against the Padres.

Aug 29, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ryne Nelson (19) throws in the first inning against the New York Mets at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo removed some of the mystery surrounding intended player usage for the weekend series against the Padres. The D-backs are in a tight race, attempting to lock down a Wild Card spot for the Postseason. Every game is critical, and questions have swirled following a recent round of roster moves.

Ryne Nelson's Role

Recently activated Ryne Nelson will work out of the bullpen this weekend. He will not start, and Lovullo will not use an opener.

Nelson had been on the 15-day injured list with a sore shoulder following an outing against the Houston Astros. He's been throwing bullpens successfully without any discomfort however and was deemed ready for this weekend.

"I'm excited for Nellie to re-join us. It was a quick turnaround, he just needed a little bit of rest in that right shoulder. How we end up deploying him out of the bullpen I'm not sure, I just want to use him to help us win a baseball game."

The rotation order for Saturday and Sunday has not been announced. Lovullo said the starting point would be keeping Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt in order. Lovullo indicated it depends on how things go this evening.

"If the the season goes in a very positive way we may make some adjustments to set up for the Postseason. There's a lot of contingencies based on the next two days," Lovullo said.

The best case scenario for the D-backs would be they win the first two games of the series and the Braves drop two in a row to the Royals on Friday and Saturday. If that happens there will be a champagne celebration in the D-backs clubhouse Saturday night.

With so many contingencies up in the air, Lovullo made sure to emphasize the focus is on tonight and one game at a time.

"The padres are coming, we're preparing for them. And they're coming, and so are we. We plan to meet them right in the middle. I'm excited for this series."

Alek Thomas' Role

For this weekend expect Thomas to be used as a defensive replacement later in games. He could pinch-run, and maybe get a pinch-hit at-bat. "In a close game he'll probably be playing center field for us," Lovullo said.

Pavin Smith in Friday Lineup

Lovullo inserted Smith into the lineup Friday, and acknowledged he was riding the hot hand. "That's where we're at right now. Pavin hit a big three-run home run, he's got some decent numbers against Darvish that are showing up on my desk. "

Smith has hit six home runs in the month of September and is 5-for-16 with four doubles against Darvish in his career. As a result of Smith's start, Jake McCarthy is on the bench. McCarthy is hitting .283/.349/.399, 108 OPS+ this year. He's slumped in September however, batting .221/.256/.233 for a .488 OPS.

"Nothing against Jake," Lovullo said. "Jake is going to continue to play. Jake's had a great year for us. But this is where we're at right and now and I think Pavin is ready for this."

Paul Sewald, Neck Discomfort, 15-Day IL since September 12.

Sewald will throw to live hitters on Saturday at Salt River Fields. He's thrown two previous bullpens prior to tomorrow's scheduled live bullpen. Lovullo said they will "read and react" to what they see.

Sewald will not pitch in the regular season, but it remains to be seen if he could be activated for the Wild Card round.