Torey Lovullo: Diamondbacks ‘within striking distance’ entering 2nd half

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo has his rotation in order after the All-Star break going into a three-game series against the Cubs in Chicago.

“We have it pretty much dialed in,” Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Thursday. “So we wanna get everybody here, get them on the bump and have them throw their bullpens today, go out there and work out here in another 20 minutes just to see how everybody’s doing, and we’ll get that information out as soon as possible.”

Ryne Nelson will start Friday before Zac Gallen on Saturday as the team resumes play, Lovullo said. The team later announced Brandon Pfaadt would get the ball in the Cubs finale Sunday.

D-backs vs. Cubs pitching probables

• Friday: Nelson (6-6, 4.98 ERA) vs. Justin Steele (2-3, 2.71)
• Saturday: Gallen (6-5, 3.87) vs. Kyle Hendricks (2-7, 6.78)
• Sunday: Pfaadt (4-6, 3.97) vs. Shota Imanaga (8-2, 2.97)

The Cubs are 2.5 games back of the Diamondbacks, who are one game out of a wild card slot.

“We’re within striking distance,” Lovullo said. “I talked to the boys about a month ago. I said let’s just get within striking distance by the All-Star break. We’re in a good spot, we gotta go out and play our best baseball though.”

Injury updates on 3 starting pitchers

Lovullo told Burns & Gambo the team knew who would start the series finale against the Cubs but wouldn’t say who before telling the rest of the team. He did confirm that it would not be Jordan Montgomery, after saying before the break he felt very good Montgomery would rejoin the rotation afterwards.

“He threw a simulated game (Thursday) … three innings, 56 pitches, maintained velo at 92-93, so everything was good. He checked that box and we’ll see where he’s gonna go next time,” the skipper said.

Lovullo added that it’s “very likely” Montgomery makes his return at some point “over the next five or six days” assuming all goes well coming back from the simulated game.

On Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez, Lovullo said, “It’s just too hard to tell right now,” saying that both pitchers are “working their butts off” rehabbing.

“I know they’re getting after it. They’ve gotta find their way onto the mound and into a competitive atmosphere before we start to give them a timeline,” Lovullo said, acknowledging that Kelly has a self-proclaimed return target of August.

“They’re checking some boxes. When it happens we’re not exactly sure, hopefully sooner rather than later.”