D-backs to move Robbie Ray up for Friday start vs. Giants
May 21, 2019, 3:02 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Robbie Ray throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso)
(AP Photo/Ralph Freso)
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo has yet to sort out who will take Zack Godley’s starting spot after the team pushed the struggling right-hander back to the bullpen on Monday. Arizona, however, will allow itself at least an extra day to determine how to handle the fifth spot in the rotation as it pushes Robbie Ray’s next start up a day.
Ray will throw Friday at San Francisco after previously being scheduled to start on Saturday, Lovullo told Burns & Gambo on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. The left-hander last pitched Sunday in an extra-innings loss to the Giants.
“We had a little wiggle room with the off day (Thursday),” Lovullo told Burns & Gambo.
Godley has not pitched more than 3.1 innings over his last six outings. After being demoted to the bullpen on April 27, he has pitched out of the bullpen three times and acted as an opener twice. For the year, he has a 7.90 ERA and 1.78 WHIP with a 1-4 record.
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In Godley’s last game Saturday, he threw 73 pitches and went through the San Francisco lineup twice over 3.1 innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs.
On Friday, Ray projects to line up against Drew Pomeranz, who pitched opposite Ray on Sunday as Arizona fell 3-2 in 10 innings.
Ray went 4.0 innings with six strikeouts, two earned runs and four walks allowed. Pomeranz pitched 4.2 innings with five walks, two strikeouts and two earned runs allowed.
Closing out the current series against the San Diego Padres for Arizona, Zack Greinke and Merrill Kelly will respectively pitch Tuesday and Wednesday before the off-day Thursday.
