Zac Gallen will take the mound for the last time before the All-Star Game when the Arizona Diamondbacks host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday in the opener of a three-game series in Phoenix.
The Arizona ace is enjoying a standout season and is being mentioned as the possible starter for the National League in the Midsummer Classic after Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw pulled out of the game due to injury.
Gallen (10-3, 3.15 ERA) repeatedly has said this week that he wants to make a decision after this start about whether he's available to pitch on Tuesday.
Gallen is tied for the NL lead in victories and tied for fourth with 120 strikeouts. The right-hander has allowed 97 hits in 111 1/3 innings.
Since the start of last season, Gallen is 22-7 with a 2.77 ERA in 49 starts. He finished fifth in 2022 NL Cy Young Award balloting.
"This has been a long time coming for him," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "I think he's had some All-Star moments. There were times when I felt like he should have been considered before, but it's his turn now. It's the first of many. He's at the very start of his journey. He's going to be a very special pitcher for a long time."
Gallen takes the mound at a time in which Arizona badly needs him to be a stopper.
The Diamondbacks have lost four straight games and eight of their past 12. They were walloped 9-0 by the visiting New York Mets on Thursday night.
In addition, All-Star outfielder Corbin Carroll re-injured his right shoulder on a swing in the seventh inning and left the game with discomfort. It is the second time in seven days that Carroll injured the shoulder.
Lovullo said Carroll will undergo an MRI exam on Friday.
"Corbin is very in-tune with his body and he understands what he's feeling," Lovullo said. "He felt something that didn't feel right and we'll go in there and check it out with some imaging."
Carroll, 22, is batting .290 with 18 homers, 46 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 83 games. He is the leading Rookie of the Year candidate as well as being mentioned as part of the MVP race.
Pittsburgh fell for the fifth time in six games following a 5-2 setback to the host Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.
The Pirates were outscored 23-17 while losing three of four to the Dodgers. Two of the setbacks were by three runs and the other was by two but manager Derek Shelton wasn't overly discouraged.
"Overall, we played well against a good team, but we just didn't finish the games," Shelton said after Thursday's loss.
Pittsburgh activated third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) from the injured list prior to Thursday's game. Hayes went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk.
Left-hander Rich Hill (7-8, 4.50) will start Friday's game for the Pirates.
Hill, 43, has lost three of his past four starts. He fell to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday after he gave up three runs and three hits with eight strikeouts over five innings.
Hill routinely has struggled against the Diamondbacks. He is 1-7 with a 5.86 ERA in 12 career starts.
Arizona's Evan Longoria is 5-for-19 with seven strikeouts against Hill.
The Pirates can be optimistic about facing Gallen as they torched him for eight runs (five earned) and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings during a 13-3 home rout of the Diamondbacks on May 19.
Gallen is 1-2 with a 3.78 ERA in three career starts against the Pirates. Jack Suwinski is 3-for-6 with three doubles against Gallen.
More must-reads: