Gabriel Moreno placed on injured list by Diamondbacks
Aug 6, 2024, 10:23 AM | Updated: 10:28 am
The Arizona Diamondbacks will place starting catcher Gabriel Moreno on the injured list after he exited Monday’s game with a left groin strain, per Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.
Gambadoro reports it will likely be the 10-day injured list for Moreno and that 24-year-old prospect Adrian Del Castillo will be called up as Arizona’s other healthy catcher alongside Jose Herrera. Del Castillo has raked this season in Triple-A Reno and receives his first big league chance.
Gabriel Moreno injured
Moreno went down after beating out an infield single on Monday, exiting the game immediately. Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters postgame Moreno would head back to Phoenix for evaluation.
The 2023 Gold Glove backstop has been an important cog for the D-backs’ 20-9 record since the start of July on both sides of the ball.
Moreno entered Monday with a .317/.400/.427 slash line since he returned from a minimum 10-day IL stint on July 2 (sprained thumb). He homered and singled before exiting, raising his batting average to .262 and OPS to .729.
He has thrown out 31% of base stealers (22% is league average) after leading the league at 39% last year.
Adrian Del Castillo gets his chance
The Diamondbacks will count on Del Castillo in some capacity behind the dish along with Herrera. The two worked together for much of the first half of the season in Reno.
Del Castillo has had a tremendous season offensively with a .319/.403/.608 slash line, 24 homers and a Pacific Coast League-leading 36 doubles. He has cut his strikeouts down from his previous three minor league seasons while showing the ability to hit line drives to all fields. He’s called himself a doubles hitter.
Del Castillo’s defense has improved this year, as the organization has been encouraged by his receiving and throwing.
D-backs reliever Slade Cecconi played with Del Castillo in college at Miami and saw those strides this year.
“Everybody knew about the bat at Miami, but I feel like his game has become much more well rounded, especially defensively,” Cecconi told Arizona Sports. “Just the other night, while I was pitching, full leg kick and everything, he hosed the guy going down to second. That part of his game has developed, being able to keep runners honest … I’ve noticed he’s also sticking balls really well back there on, the low pitches, stealing strikes. He’s always been such a hard worker, it was always going to happen. It was just when. And I think now is when.”
Del Castillo is a left-handed bat while Herrera is a switch-hitter.
