The Arizona Diamondbacks are back on the road, playing a weekend series at the Colorado Rockies. Friday’s opener starts at 5:40 pm and can be seen on Bally Sports Arizona.
D-Backs proceeding with caution with Ketel Marte at Coors Field
DENVER — After dealing with multiple hamstring issues playing at Coors Field throughout his career, Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte is likely to be used cautiously this weekend against the Rockies.
“We’ll be mindful of what’s happened here in the past,” manager Torey Lovullo said.
Marte has said that he has suffered hamstring injuries three times while playing in this ballpark — once early in his career with the Seattle Mariners and twice since joining the Diamondbacks, including each of the past two seasons.
Lovullo said that in a normal three-game series at Coors Field he would make certain that an everyday player is out of the lineup in at least one of the games.
“This is a little different because we’re bookending days off,” Lovullo said, referring to the fact the Diamondbacks were off Thursday and will be off again on Monday. “But I still want to be mindful and protect Ketel.”
If Marte doesn’t get a full day off, Lovullo could opt to use him as the designated hitter in one of the games. Marte was starting at second base on Friday night.
Friday’s Diamondbacks-Rockies pitching matchup
Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (1-3, 3.42) vs. Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (2-2, 4.28)
Kelly allowed four runs in five innings against the Padres, an outing in which his control issues continued to plague him. He walked five batters, the fourth time in five starts he has issued at least four walks. … Kelly has a 6.20 ERA in four career starts at Coors Field, but he did have a good one in Denver last year, allowing one run in seven innings. … RF Kris Bryant (8 for 19, three doubles) has given Kelly trouble, but he has fared well against several other Rockies hitters, including LF Jurickson Profar (1 for 13). … Freeland allowed just two runs in his first 18 2/3 innings but has been tagged for 11 earned runs in his past 8 2/3. … He has a 5.40 ERA in 17 career starts against the Diamondbacks. … Several Diamondbacks hitters have excellent numbers against Freeland, including 3B Evan Longoria (.324, two homers), 2B Ketel Marte (.324, four doubles) and SS Nick Ahmed (.242, four doubles, two homers).
Coming up
Saturday: At Colorado, 5:10 pm, Diamondbacks LHP Tommy Henry (0-0, 6.23) vs. Rockies RHP Noah Davis (0-0, 0.93).
Sunday: At Colorado, 12:10 pm, Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (1-1, 5.33) vs. Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (1-4, 9.28).
Monday: Off.
Tuesday: At Texas, 5:05 pm, Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (4-1, 2.15) vs. Rangers RHP Jon Gray (1-1, 3.91).
The Rockies are off to a miserable 8-18 start, the sort of season most expected from a team that made relatively few changes in the winter following a 68-94 season in 2022. The Rockies have the fourth-worst offense in the league, averaging just 3.77 runs per game. Their pitching staff has a 5.09 ERA, last in the league. RF Kris Bryant, who was banged up for much of last year, has a .312/.379/.452 line with three homers. DH Charlie Blackmon has also posted solid numbers, with a .276/.394/.414 line. Most everyone else is struggling at the plate, including SS Ezequiel Tovar, a highly regarded young player who is hitting just .192 with 27 strikeouts in 78 at-bats. 2B/3B Ryan McMahon has 35 strikeouts in 88 at-bats. LHP Austin Gomber has a 9.28 ERA through five starts. RHP Jose Urena had a 9.82 ERA in his five starts and was designated for assignment this week. The Rockies got RHP Daniel Bard back from the injured list in recent days. He has thrown 3 1/3 innings without allowing a run since his return.
Early reading for Diamondbacks-Rockies series
Next step awaits: Brandon Pfaadt’s unlikely baseball journey from DII to the verge of the major leagues
Throwback approach: Diamondbacks catcher Moreno’s style helps him throw out baserunners
Long time coming: Former Arizona State standout makes MLB debut after 13 years in minors
MLB after one wild month: Five trends that will hold up until October
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Diamondbacks Daily: News, updates from series opener at Rockies