D-backs’ Marte out of starting lineup for 2nd straight game with back injury

Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star Ketel Marte will miss his second consecutive game against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday due to lower back tightness.

Marte was scratched from the lineup prior to Saturday’s 11-6 loss to the Giants.

“Obviously going to run through some functional testing,” manager Torey Lovullo said before Sunday’s game.

“I’m assuming he’s going to be feeling better. I think [he] just needed a little rest. There’s going to be possibly some usage off the bench. That’s my anticipation but we have to get him to swing the bat a little bit today.”

The injury doesn’t seem to require time on the injured listed, as the switch-hitter’s services were still available off the bench on Saturday.

“He would’ve been available in an emergency situation but I wanted to stay away from it as much as I possibly could,” Lovullo said. “I explained that to him. You could see that he was engaged in the dugout, but never really had a need for him.”

Marte has said that he feels it more when batting from the left side of the plate rather than the right side.

“I don’t know if there was one particular swing,” Lovullo said.

“I think it’s just been a build-up is the way it was explained to me from the medical staff yesterday when we were going over it. Maybe the left-handed swing causes a little more discomfort but I don’t think it was one swing, one particular moment. It was just a bunch of swings that added up. That’s how the medical team explained it to me.”

The D-backs also made a plethora of roster moves over the weekend.

On Sunday, Arizona recalled RHP Bo Takahashi from Double-A Jackson and optioned RHP Stefan Crichton to Triple-A Reno following Saturday’s game.

Prior to Saturday’s game, the D-backs recalled RHP Joel Payamps from Triple-A Reno and placed RHP Yoshihisa Hirano on the 10-day IL due to right elbow inflammation. In a corresponding move, RHP Jon Duplantier was optioned to Triple-A Reno following Friday night’s 10-9 loss to the Giants.

Payamps will be making his MLB debut upon his first appearance in a D-backs jersey with No. 36 stitched on his back.

Prior to his last appearance on Aug. 12, the 25-year-old posted an impressive 4-1 record to go along with a 2.02 ERA and 38 strikeouts over an eight-game stretch from June 27 to Aug. 7.

Hirano has one save and a 4-5 record for the D-backs this season. The right-hander owns a 4.89 ERA with 53 punchouts, 21 free passes and a .271 opponent batting average over 46 innings pitched (55 games).

Duplantier has made just 9 appearances (three starts) for Arizona in 2019. The 25-year-old also has one save to go along with a 1-1 record, 4.33 ERA, 26 strikeouts, 12 walks and a .260 opponent average in 27 innings of work.

First pitch of the series finale is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. and will be aired on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

Follow @jwa1994