The Arizona Diamondbacks placed Canadian right-hander Michael Soroka on the 15-day injured list with a strained right glute and sent utilityman Jordan Lawlar back to the IL with a strained right hamstring after Friday’s win over Minnesota.
PHOENIX — The Diamondbacks’ bullpen has been asked to carry more weight than anyone wants, and Saturday brought another reminder of how quickly a season can shift.
Arizona placed Canadian right-hander Michael Soroka on the 15-day injured list with a strained right glute. The club also put utilityman Jordan Lawlar back on the injured list with a strained right hamstring. Lawlar’s injury came in Friday’s victory over Minnesota.
Both players had MRIs on Saturday, and Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said they will be sidelined at least four weeks before Arizona’s next game against the Twins.
Soroka’s night ended early in Friday’s game. The 28-year-old left the contest after throwing some warmup pitches before the second inning. From Calgary, he had been Arizona’s most effective starter this season—going 8-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 15 starts.
For Arizona, this adds to an already complicated pitching picture. Soroka joins right-hander Ryne Nelson, who was sidelined earlier this week with a sprained UCL in his pitching arm. Corbin Burnes is also out after Tommy John surgery last year—then suffering a setback in rehab. That unrelated injury is a strained muscle in his teres major muscle. and Burnes is expected to miss time until September at the earliest.
Lawlar’s return has been just as fragile. Removed from Friday’s game after beating out an infield single, the 2021 first-round pick had just come back last week from a two-month injured list stint. He fractured his right wrist after being hit by a pitch from Atlanta’s Osvaldo Bido.
Through it all, Lawlar still brought production when he has been able to play. He was batting .316 with a home run in 38 at-bats before Friday’s injury forced him back onto the IL.
To fill the gaps, Arizona recalled left-handed pitcher Philip Abner and utilityman Tim Tawa from triple-A Reno. Both were up with the club earlier this season.
With injuries hitting at the top of the rotation and within the position group, Arizona is currently carrying 10 relievers—an uncomfortable number that hints at how much the Diamondbacks have had to lean on their late-game arms while their starters and key depth continue to deal with setbacks.
Arizona Diamondbacks Michael Soroka Jordan Lawlar injured list 15-day IL strained right glute strained right hamstring Ryne Nelson Corbin Burnes Tommy John surgery Philip Abner Tim Tawa Reno Twins