D-backs post-All-Star notebook: Injuries and the starting rotation

PHOENIX — Everyone is back in the office.

After three days of absence from one another, the Diamondbacks players were back in their clubhouse on Thursday afternoon at Chase Field, preparing for a series to start on Friday against the Colorado Rockies.

Some went to the beach, others spent time with family, some did both. All of them are now faced with a high-stakes pennant race in the NL West, entering the second half of the season with a 0.5-game deficit in the division behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“The second half is going to be extremely wide open and exciting, but we’re prepared and we’ve worked hard for this,” Torey Lovullo said. “We deserve to be where we’re at. Obviously we wish the standings were a little bit different, but they’re not. And we know what we have to do.”

ROTATION

Lovullo will tab left-hander Robbie Ray to start the first game back from the All-Star break, followed by right-handers Zack Godley and Zack Greinke in that order, and lefty Patrick Corbin after that. The manager did not name a fifth starter, saying that was “TBA.”

Neither Greinke nor Corbin appeared in the All-Star game on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C.

“I think we were trying to give Patrick [Corbin] and Zack [Greinke] some days off, some days down, given the chance they could’ve possibly pitched in the All-Star Game,” Lovullo said. “For me, thankfully, they didn’t. I think they weren’t totally rested players. But they were going to go ahead and tee it up if they were asked to.

“And they didn’t have time off. The three players that we sent to the All-Star Game, that’s a tough circumstance. Here I am talking about relaxing and watching a baseball game, those guys didn’t have that opportunity.”

INJURIES

RHP Shelby Miller, who went back on the disabled list on July 12 just four starts into his long-awaited return from Tommy John surgery, had test results read by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Miller has minor inflammation and “will continue to be shut down and be treated for the next 10-14 days” before baseball activity would be considered, Lovullo said, adding that his understanding was that there was no structural damage or need for repair.

RHP Clay Buchholz was set to throw on Thursday night for the Class A Visalia Rawhide with a target of 75-80 pitches. He was placed on the 10-day DL with an oblique strain on June 25.

IF Deven Marrero (oblique) was expected to hit and throw on Thursday and possibly run the base paths.

LHP T.J. McFarland (neck stiffness) was scheduled for a bullpen session on Thursday with a simulated game to follow on Saturday.

OF Jarrod Dyson (groin) has not resumed baseball activity but is undergoing strengthening and range-of-motion activities. Lovullo said Dyson was “injected, to just calm things down,” referring to the inflammation in the area.

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