Diamondbacks updates: Miguel Castro, Kyle Nelson added to injured list
ST. LOUIS — The Arizona Diamondbacks placed pitcher Miguel Castro on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation Tuesday afternoon, in addition to the more noteworthy injured list move with Merrill Kelly.
Then, just prior to game time, the club announced that it placed Kyle Nelson on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation. In place of Castro and Nelson, the Diamondbacks recalled left-hander Andrew Saalfrank and right-hander Justin Martinez from Triple-A Reno.
Saalfrank has struggled a bit with control, dating back to the postseason last year, but he has not walked a batter in his past four outings. He has a 2.61 ERA in eight appearances in Triple-A. Martinez was optioned to Triple-A over the weekend after he walked four batters in two major league appearances but the Diamondbacks had limited options to replace Nelson after his late move to the injured list. They have just four healthy players on the 40-man roster in the minor leagues.
Castro’s move came as less of a surprise. He had been experiencing discomfort for a few days, Lovullo said, but the issue continued to worsen to the point where the Diamondbacks felt that it was necessary to place him on the injured list.
“We've been trying to get that information from him, give him some treatment,” Lovullo said. “I've been staying away from him for that reason, it just hasn't been responding in a favorable way so we decided that putting him on the IL would be the best thing for him and this team.”
Castro will undergo an MRI on Wednesday back in Phoenix. He has a 5.19 ERA in eight appearances this season.
Elsewhere on the injury front, Blaze Alexander (hamstring) is available off the bench Tuesday. He was only available in an emergency Monday after being removed from Sunday’s game in San Francisco.
Tuesday's game: Diamondbacks at Cardinals, 4:45 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34
Diamondbacks LHP Tommy Henry (0-1, 6.87) vs. Cardinals LHP Steven Matz (1-1, 3.60), 4:45 p.m.
Henry gets the start for the Diamondbacks on Tuesday with Merrill Kelly being placed on the injured list with an injury to his right teres major, which was causing shoulder discomfort. … Henry has struggled this year, never pitching more than five innings or allowing fewer than two earned runs in his four starts. … He was optioned to Triple-A last week, but is likely set to get another opportunity following injuries to Ryne Nelson and Kelly. … Matz has solid numbers in the third year of a four-year deal with the Cardinals but he only has 12 strikeouts in 20 innings. He allowed four runs (one earned) in 4 2/3 innings against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix earlier this month. … Matz’s best pitch is a sinker that he throws over half the time.
Coming up
Diamondbacks LHP Jordan Montgomery (1-0, 1.50) vs. Cardinals RHP Kyle Gibson (1-2, 5.04), 10:15 a.m., Cox, Ch. 34
Montgomery pitched well in his first start with the Diamondbacks, allowing one run on four hits in Friday’s win over the Giants. Montgomery struck out three and did not walk a batter in the outing. … Montgomery agreed to terms with the Diamondbacks just two days before Opening Day and required a pair of starts in Triple-A to build up his workload, delaying his debut. … Montgomery’s velocity was down 1-2 mph from last year in the start against the Giants but he was able to fill up the strike zone and elicit weak contact. He also leaned more heavily on his curveball than he did for much of last season. … Montgomery spent roughly a year with the Cardinals between 2022 and 2023. They acquired him at the 2022 trade deadline then sent him to Texas at last year’s trade deadline. He has not faced the Cardinals since leaving St. Louis. … Gibson has bounced around for the past few seasons. He had a 4.73 ERA in 33 starts with the Orioles last year and landed with the Cardinals on a one-year, $13 million deal in free agency. … Gibson allowed four runs in six innings when these two teams met in Arizona earlier this month. … Gibson has 10 walks and just 14 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched through four starts.
Coming up
Thursday: Off.
Friday: At Seattle, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (3-1, 3.00) vs. Mariners RHP George Kirby (2-2, 5.33).
Saturday: At Seattle, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Slade Cecconi (1-0, 3.00) vs. Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (2-2, 6.10).
Sunday: At Seattle, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-1, 4.97) vs. Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert (1-0, 2.33).
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: DBacks updates: Miguel Castro, Kyle Nelson added to injured list
