D-backs’ Drey Jameson to make 1st start of season Wednesday vs. Brewers

PHOENIX — Right-handed pitcher Drey Jameson will be making his first start of the 2023 season on Wednesday, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Monday.

Jameson — who is replacing Zach Davies (left oblique strain) in the rotation — will be starting the third and final game of a series with the Milwaukee Brewers in place of lefty Madison Bumgarner, who will get an extra two days of rest before taking the bump Friday against the Marlins in Miami.

Jameson has been lights out in the 8.1 innings pitched across three games this year, all of which have been out of the bullpen — a career first for the 25-year-old. The righty is already 2-0 with one save, a 2.16 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and eight strikeouts to five walks.

“Just given that starting pitching is a premium, I feel like that’s always the greatest value that I feel he has,” Lovullo said when asked about keeping Jameson in the bullpen. “We’ve had great discussions about them. We’ve had everybody in one room at one time talking about it and several unbelievable points were made.

“He can impact the game four times a week versus once every five days. But starting pitching sets the tone and he’s very gifted and that’s where he wants to be and he deserves his opportunity. We all feel differently, but we know how important it is that he starts and helps us to win baseball games.”

Meanwhile, Bumgarner has been dealing with what appears to be fatigue despite an MRI deeming the veteran to be healthy. The 33-year-old mentioned it after his last spring start on March 27 and then was sent home early from Los Angeles on April 2 after his first start of the season.

In two outings thus far this year, Bumgarner has yet to complete 5.0 innings and holds a 7.27 ERA and 2.19 WHIP to go along with seven strikeouts and 10 walks in 8.2 total innings of work.

“I asked Bum to go a little bit more than I was comfortable with the other day,” Lovullo said. “It was probably two extra batters.

“I wanted him to try and get through the fifth and get (James) Outman. It was a left-on-left matchup and we just feel like it would be a good thing to just get him off his feet for a couple of extra days because of the extended outing and the workload.”

INJURED LIST UPDATES

Left-handed reliever Joe Mantiply (left shoulder inflammation) will throw at Double-A Amarillo on Tuesday, per Lovullo.

“He’s in a really good spot,” Lovullo said. “The bullpens, the live BPs that he’s thrown have (shown) everything’s ticked up and he’s feeling very, very good.

“Whether it was timing, whether it was just the dead arm, it was something that just wasn’t right and I think the rest has done him well and I’m expecting good things with this outing in Amarillo.”

Mantiply started the year on the 15-day IL.

Meanwhile, outfielder Kyle Lewis continues to be sidelined due to an “unspecified” illness. Lovullo expects there to be additional rehabilitation time after Lewis comes off the IL, but he hopes the outfielder can return sooner rather than later.

“He’s probably going to need to be built back up,” Louvllo said. “He’s going to be on the injury list and then get into a rehab and try to get back on his feet as soon as possible. I’m hoping it’s as soon as possible, which is a strong possibility.”

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