Diamondbacks updates: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. gets a day as Gabriel Moreno returns

SAN FRANCISCO — The Diamondbacks appear ready to welcome catcher Gabriel Moreno back to the lineup following a two-day absence but are giving left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. a breather for the first day of a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants.

Moreno has not started since having a pitch hit off his right thumb on Monday night against the Chicago Cubs. He was in the original lineups on Tuesday and Wednesday but was a late scratch both times.

As for Gurriel, this will be his second time out of the lineup in the Diamondbacks’ first 20 games. Manager Torey Lovullo liked the idea of easing Gurriel’s workload given some of the action that’s come his way in recent games.

“He’s had a lot of volume,” Lovullo said. “Whether it’s running in the outfield or being on the bases, he’s had a lot of sprinting, and we need to make sure we monitor that and get him off his feet whenever I can.”

Pitching matchup for Thursday's series opener in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — The Diamondbacks will open a 10-game, three-city road trip on Thursday night at Oracle Park, where they will send right-hander Ryne Nelson to the mound to face San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb.

Nelson (1-2, 5.27) delivered one of his better starts of the past two seasons on Saturday against the Cardinals, allowing one run on seven hits in six innings, while striking out four and walking one.

Most encouragingly, he found success with his cutter. Since debuting in 2022, Nelson has displayed an excellent four-seam fastball but has struggled to keep batters off balance with his secondary offerings.

Nelson has had many of his better starts against teams that struggle to hit four-seam fastballs, like the Cardinals. By contrast, the Giants have been in the top third of the league for their quality of contact against four-seamers.

Webb (1-1, 3.80), who led the majors last season with 216 innings pitched, has worked seven innings in each of his past two starts, allowing three total runs. He has logged quality starts in three of his four outings this season.

Webb faced the Diamondbacks four times last season, posting a 3.00 ERA in 27 innings.

What do know about the San Francisco Giants

San Francisco has had consecutive disappointing seasons following its 107-win campaign in 2021. The Diamondbacks’ NL West rivals went 81-81 in 2022 and 79-83 last season, falling out of the NL Wild Card race in the final weeks of the season. They made a pair of big off-season moves, signing Korean OF Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113 million deal and then adding reigning NL Cy Young Blake Snell on a two-year, $62 million contract during spring training. Still, the Giants were widely projected to finish either third or fourth in the division entering the year, behind the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. They have performed to that level, with a 7-11 record entering this weekend’s series. OF Michael Conforto, who has an .897 OPS, has been their only impact bat. Snell has struggled mightily in his two starts, allowing 10 runs in seven innings, while the rest of the rotation has had mixed fortunes. RHP Jordan Hicks has been a reliever for much of his career but has a 1.57 ERA in four starts. RHP Logan Webb has been his typically steady self, with a 3.80 ERA. As a team, the Giants rank 19th in runs scored, 24th in rotation ERA and 26th in bullpen ERA

Friday's Diamondbacks-Giants pitching matchup

DBacks at Giants, 7:15 p.m., Apple TV

Diamondbacks LHP Jordan Montgomery (10-11, 3.20)* vs. Giants LHP Blake Snell (0-2, 12.86).

At Oracle Park: Montgomery will be making his first start with the Diamondbacks, with whom he signed a one-year, $25 million deal just before the start of the season. … Montgomery was viewed as one of the better starters available in free agency but his market did not materialize the way many expected. Montgomery reportedly fired his agent, Scott Boras, after reaching an agreement with the Diamondbacks. … Montgomery made two starts for Triple-A Reno, giving up two runs in four innings in the first and seven runs in 3 2/3 innings in the second. … He will be facing another pitcher in Snell who, like Montgomery, was repped by Boras only to have his market crater on him. Snell landed a two-year, $62 million deal from which he can opt-out after the first season. … Things have not gone great in his first two starts. In a combined seven innings, he has allowed 10 runs on nine hits and four walks. On the bright side, his pure stuff appears to be fine, at least from a velocity perspective. He still averages 95.4 mph on his fastball, nearly identical to last year. … He faced the Diamondbacks once last season while pitching for the Padres, giving up two runs in six innings in a start in August.

* -- Stats from 2023.

Coming up

Saturday: At San Francisco, 1:05 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (3-0, 1.64) vs. Giants LHP Kyle Harrison (2-1, 4.70).

Sunday: At San Francisco, 1:05 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (2-0, 2.19) vs. Giants RHP Jordan Hicks (2-0, 1.57).

Monday: At St. Louis, 4:45 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-1, 5.32) vs. Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn (1-0, 2.18).

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks updates: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. gets a day as Gabriel Moreno returns