Taylor Clarke to make his first MLB start for D-backs on Tuesday
May 7, 2019, 11:42 AM | Updated: 11:44 am
Taylor Clarke #45 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field on April 20, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
The first player in history to record a save and a hit in an MLB debut will get a chance to start for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
Taylor Clarke, who accomplished the feat on April 20 against the Chicago Cubs, will make his first start for the D-backs against the Tampa Bay Ray, the team announced on Saturday. Arizona optioned outfielder Tim Locastro to Triple-A Reno on Tuesday to make way for Clarke.
The spot in the rotation was opened up when the team announced that starting pitcher Zack Godley would be moved to the bullpen.
Clarke, 25, has gone 3-1 with a 6.12 ERA in five starts for Reno so far this season. He was MLB.com’s 10th-best prospect in Arizona’s farm system heading into 2019.
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D-backs manager Torey Lovullo announced the decision to move Godley to the bullpen first on the Burns & Gambo show on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station on Tuesday.
Later in the week, Godley said that he respected the decision and “I’ve just got to pitch better.”
The Rays have the most wins in the American League with a 22-12 record and own a +57 run differential, best in the majors. They are just 10-7 in home games at Tropicana Field after beating Arizona 12-1 to open a three-game series on Monday.
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