Gurriel leaves – Lourdes Gurriel Jr. left Friday night’s Diamondbacks game against the Colorado Rockies after experiencing left hamstring tightness following a sliding catch in the sixth inning. Arizona replaced him with Jorge Barrosa in center and moved Ryan Waldschmidt to le
PHOENIX — Lourdes Gurriel Jr. did not limp immediately after the catch. He grimaced after making it, slid back to his feet, and then stayed on the field just long enough for everyone around him to understand something was wrong.
The 32-year-old Arizona left fielder left the Diamondbacks’ game Friday night against the Colorado Rockies because of left hamstring tightness after the diving, feet-first grab.
Gurriel’s play came as the first out of the sixth inning. He sprinted hard toward left center before going down on the slide to make the catch. Afterward, he grimaced and slowly stood up, then had a brief conversation with manager Torey Lovullo and the medical staff.
He walked off the field at a pace that told the story more than any announcement would. He was replaced by Jorge Barrosa, who moved into center, and Ryan Waldschmidt took over in left.
Gurriel has spent the season rebuilding after a long absence. He returned to the lineup on April 18 after missing roughly eight months with a torn ACL in his right knee. Friday’s night included more than the catch—he added two RBIs before leaving the game. and he entered the incident batting .228 with one homer and 11 RBIs.
The sequence—an aggressive late-game sprint, a slide that looked routine until the grimace—left the Diamondbacks bracing for how quickly they could get him back on the field.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Diamondbacks Rockies hamstring tightness left fielder Torey Lovullo Jorge Barrosa Ryan Waldschmidt