Tommy Henry Returns to the Rotation
The Diamondbacks open up their final homestand of the year with a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants. The D-backs are 8-5 against the Giants this year.
Pitching Matchup
Rookie left-hander Tommy Henry will make his first big league start since September 7th. Henry is 3-4 with a 5.50 ERA in seven MLB starts. Henry allowed three home runs in 4 1/3 innings in his last start against the Padres. Henry has never faced the Giants in his career before, but expect manager Gabe Kapler to send out a right-handed heavy lineup.
The Giants will send out hard-throwing lefty Carlos Rodon. The D-backs have had success against Rodón, who is 0-1 with 10 runs allowed in 17 innings. Arizona is 3-0 against the Giants in Rodón's starts this season. He's been hampered by a very poor Giants defense, as his 2.84 ERA is much higher than his 2.27 FIP.
Pre-Game Notes
The D-backs have announced a series of roster moves: 1B/OF Pavin Smith and LHP Tommy Henry have been recalled from AAA Reno, LHP Tyler Holton has been optioned to AAA, and OF Jake McCarthy placed on the bereavement list.
Josh Rojas is still out of the lineup with a left-handed starter on the mound. D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said that the struggling third baseman is in a fielding slump and has been working on his defense. He's had a couple great work days on ground balls and could be returning to the lineup soon.
Lovullo gave a non-committal answer about whether or not Henry will remain of the rotation beyond tonight's start.
When asked about how Corbin Carroll, who's getting the start in center field, Lovullo called his rookie outfielder "a student of the game, he wants to go out and have success. He knows there's going to be failures and he's going to learn from them". When asked what stands out about Carroll, Lovullo praised his dedication, work ethic, focus, and preparation.