Gabriel Moreno scratched from Diamondbacks’ Tuesday lineup vs. Blue Jays

The Arizona Diamondbacks scratched starting catcher Gabriel Moreno from their lineup on Tuesday before first pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Moreno was removed due to right hand soreness, according to MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert.

Jose Herrera entered the lineup in Moreno’s place to catch starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt. Moreno was set to bat eighth, but Herrera hit ninth while center fielder Alek Thomas moved up on spot.

Moreno missed three games after getting hit in the right hand by a wild pitch on June 10 against the Cincinnati Reds. He returned last Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners and hit a three-run home run to put the game out of reach.

He went 1-for-8 over his last two games and did not play in Sunday’s day game, which is normal after a night game on Saturday.

Moreno is batting .270 this season with a .738 OPS in 188 plate appearances. Since May 1, he is batting .300 with five home runs and six doubles.

This week’s series in Toronto is a reunion for Moreno and the team he climbed the ranks to the major leagues with. Moreno debuted for the 2022 Blue Jays before getting traded with outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to Arizona for outfielder Daulton Varsho. Gurriel started in left field and hit sixth for the D-backs on Tuesday, while Varsho is on the injured list.

Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters postgame that Moreno is expected to jump back in the lineup on Wednesday.

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