The Diamondbacks are giving Kohl Drake his first big league start tonight, and they’re pairing that move with a fresh bullpen shakeup as they try to cover for a rotation spot left open by Zac Gallen.
Arizona recalled the left-hander to take the ball against the A’s, with righty Jack Perkins lined up on the other side. To make room, the club optioned reliever Juan Burgos to Triple-A Reno.
Drake’s call-up is his second of the season, but this one finally gets him into a game. He spent three days on the active roster in June without appearing, which left the 26-year-old southpaw as a phantom ballplayer until tonight. He was one of three prospects Arizona got from Texas in last summer’s Merrill Kelly deal.
The numbers in Triple-A haven’t been pretty. Drake entered the year ranked 13th in the organization by Baseball America, but he’s since dropped out of their top 30 after a rough run in Reno. Across 66 1/3 innings, he’s carried an ERA close to 7.00, with a career-low 19.3% strikeout rate and a 10% walk rate.
Arizona also made another roster move tied to the pitching staff, placing Drey Jameson on the 15-day injured list retroactive to July 20 with right hip inflammation. In a separate move, Gerardo Carrillo was recalled from Reno for the first promotion of his career.
Carrillo used a clause in his minor league contract over the weekend to get onto the 40-man roster. The 27-year-old has thrown 43 1/3 innings in Triple-A with a 4.15 ERA, a 30% strikeout rate and a 15% walk percentage. He’s been in four organizations during his career and was part of the Nationals’ 2021 trade return from the Dodgers for Trea Turner and Max Scherzer.
The Diamondbacks had to find someone to fill Gallen’s rotation spot, and they’ve already leaned on Mitch Bratt and Brandon Pfaadt alongside Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez. Jose Cabrera looked like the cleanest option, but he hasn’t spent 15 days in the minors since being optioned on July 9, which kept him from being the corresponding move when Gallen first went on the injured list. Arizona went with Bratt then, and Cabrera could be next when this turn comes up again.
Michael Soroka is also working back from a glute strain, though he’ll likely need at least a couple more weeks. With Arizona sitting within a half-game of the Wild Card picture, the club is balancing the rotation against other needs around the roster, including the bullpen, first base and the outfield.
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