ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS NEWS

Sergio Alcántara - Stays in 3B mix Alcantara started at third base and went 1-for-2 with a double in Saturday's 2-0 win over the Cardinals.

Impact Alcantara remains in the mix at third base along with prospect Geraldo Perdomo, but he made his fourth fielding error of the season. With Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reporting that Josh Rojas (oblique) may not be ready to rejoin the major-league club for the series against the Marlins beginning Monday, Alcantara's roster spot appears to be safe for at least the first half of this coming week's slate of games.

MAY 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Pavin Smith - Bats leadoff Saturday Smith batted leadoff and went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Saturday's 2-0 win over St. Louis.

Impact Speed is not Smith's game; he had just two steals in 157 career games entering this season -- maybe batting leadoff gave him the confidence to use his wheels. A recent stretch of consistently getting on base moved him up the order to the two-hole, but Smith made his season debut at leadoff with Daulton Varsho getting the day off. It was the 29th start of his career atop an order. The lefty-hitting Smith is typically in the lineup against righties with occasional starts against southpaws. He currently leads Arizona's qualified batters with a .276 average, .377 OBP and .774 OPS.

MAY 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Josh Rojas - May need more time Rojas (oblique) is unlikely to return for Arizona's series against the Marlins beginning Monday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Impact Rojas is still progressing and taking at-bats in extended spring training. It's unclear if the organization wants to see him on a minor-league rehab assignment, or if at-bats at the team's training facility are enough.

MAY 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Ian Kennedy - Likely not available Sunday Kennedy is unlikely to pitch Sunday after appearing in four of the last five games, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Impact Kennedy has two wins, a save and closed out a win during that four-game stretch, and manager Torey Lovullo acknowledged the 32-year-old right-hander was tired while saving Saturday's win over St. Louis. He's filling in at closer while Mark Melancon (undisclosed) is unavailable. If a closer is needed Sunday, there is not a clear candidate, so matchups would most likely dictate Lovullo's late-game deployment of relievers.

MAY 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Diamondbacks bring 2-1 series lead over Cardinals into game 4

The Arizona Diamondbacks lead 2-1 in a four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals

MAY 1, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly shuts down Cardinals in latest strong outing Right-hander Merrill Kelly became the first Diamondbacks starter this season to go beyond the sixth inning.

MAY 1, 2022 • AZCENTRAL.COM

Nick Ahmed - Hits solo homer Ahmed went 2-for-3 with a solo homer Saturday against the Cardinals.

Impact Ketel Marte broke a scoreless tie with a solo shot to lead off the top of the eighth inning, and Ahmed repeated the feat two batters later to chase Miles Mikolas from the game. The homer was Ahmed's second of the season in just six games. He's swung a hot bat since returning from a shoulder injury, slashing .368/.368/.789.

MAY 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Ketel Marte - Breaks tie with solo shot Marte went 1-for-4 with a solo homer Saturday against the Cardinals.

Impact Marte broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning, leading off the inning with a homer off Miles Mikolas. The homer was just the first of the season for Marte, who's still hitting a miserable .146/.211/.256 on the year.

MAY 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Ian Kennedy - Picks up first save Kennedy earned his first save of the season Saturday against St. Louis, striking out one while allowing one walk in a scoreless ninth inning.

Impact First-choice closer Mark Melancon hit the COVID-19 injured list Friday, and it looks like Kennedy is the top choice for save chances until Melancon returns. Kennedy issued a leadoff walk to Paul Goldschmidt but retired the next three batters in order to pick up his 57th career save.

MAY 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Merrill Kelly - Throws seven shutout innings Kelly improved to 2-1 on the season Saturday against St. Louis, striking out four while allowing just two hits and no walks across seven shutout innings.

Impact It's been a remarkable start to the season for the 33-year-old righty, who now owns a 1.27 ERA and 1.02 WHIP through five starts. He's still not getting all that many strikeouts, as his strikeout rate dropped to 22.8 percent following Saturday's start, but he's been very effective at keeping runners off the basepaths. The only times a Cardinal reached second base against him in this outing were on a pair of steals and an error. He'll look to keep the hot start going next week, when he lines up to face the Rockies at home on Friday.

MAY 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

D-backs' win 'started and stopped with Merrill' ST. LOUIS -- The thing right-hander Merrill Kelly takes the most pride in as a starting pitcher is not strikeouts, not his ERA and not eve...

APRIL 30, 2022 • MLB.COM

Marte, Ahmed homer in Arizona's 2-0 win over St. Louis

Merrill Kelly threw seven shutout innings and Ketel Marte and Nick Ahmed each homered in the eighth inning, lifting the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 over the St. Louis Cardinals

APRIL 30, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Daulton Varsho - Takes seat Saturday Varsho isn't starting Saturday's game against the Cardinals.

Impact Varsho started in the last eight games and hit .250 with a homer, a double, five runs, five RBI and a stolen base. Jordan Luplow will take over in center field and bat second.

APRIL 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Ian Kennedy - Closes out win Kennedy struck out one over a scoreless ninth inning in Friday's 6-2 win over St. Louis.

Impact Kennedy shut the door on the Cardinals with a 1-2-3 inning in what had been a save situation until the Diamondbacks made it a four-run game in the eighth. With closer Mark Melancon on the COVID-19-related injury list, Kennedy was warming in the eighth before his mates negated the potential save. This was the right-hander's first clean inning over his last six appearances.

APRIL 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Luis Frías - Logs five outs in win Frias allowed one run on one hit and two walks over 1.2 innings in Friday's 6-2 win over St. Louis.

Impact Frias was called up from Triple-A Reno after Arizona was short a couple of relievers that were added to the COVID-19-related injury list. He had been starting for the Aces, so his length came in handy Friday when starter Madison Bumgarner was pulled after five innings.

APRIL 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Seth Beer - Slump lingers Beer went 0-for-3 with a walk in Friday's 6-2 win over the Cardinals.

Impact Beer is hitless over his last 18 at-bats. He had been the lone Diamondback hitting with any regularity early on, but he's fallen back to the pack and is second on the team among qualified batters with a .273 average.

APRIL 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Madison Bumgarner - Picks up first win Bumgarner (1-1) earned his first win of the season, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out three over five innings in Friday's 6-2 victory over St. Louis.

Impact Bumgarner labored through a 29-pitch first inning, giving up a home run to old friend Paul Goldschmidt in a 12-pitch at-bat. He settled in after that and navigated the next four innings on 60 pitches. The left-hander has allowed just three earned runs and sports a 1.17 ERA through five starts but has just 23 innings under his belt. Bumgarner, who has yet to pitch into the sixth inning, is expected to start next Wednesday, the series finale against Miami.

APRIL 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Daulton Varsho - Delivers RBI-double Varsho went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 6-2 win over the Cardinals.

Impact Varsho tied the game at one run apiece with an RBI-double in Arizona's two-run third inning and later scored the Diamondbacks' fifth run in the seventh. It was the first two-bagger and the second multi-hit game for Varsho, who's creeping above .200 following a slow start. The center fielder is 8-for-32 (.250) over the last eight games and is up to .211 for the season.

APRIL 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

St. Louis Cardinals host the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday

The St. Louis Cardinals host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday

APRIL 30, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bumgarner deals again, lifting D-backs to win ST. LOUIS -- The D-backs beat the Cardinals, 6-2, at Busch Stadium on Friday, bouncing back from a frustrating loss the night before. Here a...

APRIL 30, 2022 • MLB.COM

Bumgarner gives up 1 run in 5 innings; Dbacks beat Cards 6-2

Madison Bumgarner pitched five strong innings, Daulton Varsho had two hits and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2

APRIL 30, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Closer Mark Melancon latest Diamondbacks pitcher lost to COVID The Diamondbacks lost another reliever to COVID-19 with closer Mark Melancon going on the injured list on Friday.

APRIL 30, 2022 • AZCENTRAL.COM

Tyler Holton - Sent back to Triple-A Holton was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

Impact Holton had his contract selected earlier in the day but didn't even last a full 24 hours on the major-league roster. He did get to make his big-league debut, striking out one batter while allowing two hits in a scoreless inning of relief against the Cardinals.

APRIL 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Keynan Middleton - Contract selected Middleton's contract was selected from Triple-A Reno on Friday.

Impact Middleton owns a career 3.84 ERA in 126.2 major-league innings, though that mark sits at 5.02 across 43.0 frames since the start of the 2020 season. He'll give Arizona another bullpen option with Mark Melancon landing on the COVID-19 injured list.

APRIL 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Mark Melancon - Hits injured list Melancon was placed on the injured list for undisclosed reasons Friday.

Impact The Diamondbacks declined to specify both the reason for Melancon's absence and which injured list he'd been placed on, which is the pattern teams have used when a player lands on the COVID-19 injured list. Whether or not Melancon has tested positive for the virus himself is unclear. If he has, he could miss over a week, but it's also possible he's merely close contact or is dealing with the symptoms of an unrelated illness. Ian Kennedy could see save chances while Melancon is unavailable, as could Joe Mantiply, the only Diamondback other than Melancon to record a save this season.

APRIL 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE