Diamondbacks to call up RHP Taylor Clarke for start on Saturday
Aug 16, 2019, 4:42 PM
Starting pitcher Taylor Clarke #45 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the Washington Nationals during second inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on August 04, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — Triple-A Reno Aces right-handed pitcher Taylor Clarke will be recalled to make the start against the Giants on Saturday for the Arizona Diamondbacks, manager Torey Lovullo said Friday.
Clarke, who was on the 40-man roster but not the team’s 25-man active roster before Friday’s game, had a locker in the clubhouse. He’s on the “taxi squad,” a term that refers to players who have traveled to their next assignment but whose next assignment hasn’t actually been made official with the league.
Clarke’s helping the big-league club comes after the team placed left-hander Robbie Ray on the 10-day injured list on Thursday. Ray, who has a 3.99 ERA in 26 starts this season, went only two innings in his start on Wednesday. He was diagnosed as having back spasms.
“We pieced things together the best that we can. It’s going to give the ability to give us an extra day for [Merrill] Kelly and [Zac] Gallen,” Lovullo said. “The guys have been getting after it. To be able to push them back and give them that extra day was well-timed.
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“Taylor deserves this opportunity. He’d been throwing the ball extremely well before he was sent out, so I know he’s excited to be back here and I’m excited to see what he can help us out with.”
The 26-year-old Clarke has a 5.46 ERA through 14 games (13 starts) this season, his debut season in the major leagues. In his last four starts before his most recent assignment to Reno, Clarke had a 3.92 ERA over 20.2 innings pitched.
In nine of his 14 starts this year, Clarke has allowed three earned runs or fewer.
