Arizona Diamondbacks Face Tough Road Ahead After Injury Setbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks are in a difficult spot approaching the halfway point of the season, with a brutal week of injury news and a series loss to the Minnesota Twins. Jose Cabrera threw five shutout innings in his MLB debut on Sunday, but a rare bullpen misadventure mixed with an offense that failed to drive in runs resulted in a 4-2 loss to Minnesota. Manager Torey Lovullo said the team needs to put together a complete game, with both offense and defense clicking. The Diamondbacks had a stretch of series against clubs that are two games over .500 or worse, but went 6-9 in those 15 games. Corbin Burnes and A.J. Puk suffered setbacks, while Ryne Nelson, Michael Soroka, and Jordan Lawlar went on the injured list. And now the schedule is getting tougher, with five of their next six opponents above .500 and four in postseason position. The Diamondbacks are 39-38, still hovering around .500 and only one game back of the third National League Wild Card spot. General manager Mike Hazen told Arizona Sports' Wolf & Luke that he was planning on buying at the trade deadline, but the team needs to play more consistent baseball. Cabrera earned another opportunity to fill Nelson's spot in the rotation, despite having only started three games in Triple-A Reno before his call-up. The D-backs have to figure out Soroka's spot, with Brandon Pfaadt getting stretched out in Reno and prospect Kohl Drake having been called up for length out of the bullpen. Center field has also become a question mark due to Lawlar's injury, with the light-hitting Jorge Barrosa starting the last two games. So the Diamondbacks will face the surprisingly competitive St. Louis Cardinals for four games starting on Monday, and then face the division-leading Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers as part of this stretch before the Midsummer Classic. But shortstop Geraldo Perdomo said the team needs to fight and play good baseball before the injured players return. The Diamondbacks have holes in the lineup, including first base and designated hitter, and Lawlar was set to alleviate some of the center field struggles. Perdomo said this is baseball, and the team can't feel sorry for themselves, they need to get the thing turned around. The next six weeks will be crucial for the Diamondbacks, with a tough schedule ahead and the need to play consistent baseball to make a push for the playoffs.