The Arizona Diamondbacks announced ahead of their Saturday afternoon matchup against the Mariners that 3B Evan Longoria has been placed on the 10-day IL due to a strained lower back.
Longoria, in his 16th season in the MLB, has struggled to find his groove with the D-backs thus far. Despite consistent playing time since April, the 37-year-old veteran has posted a .238 batting average in 2023.
But lately, Longoria has fallen into an even deeper slump, as he is 5/30 in the month of July. This begs the question of whether his back problems have been affecting his performance over the past month.
In return for sending Longoria to the IL, the Diamondbacks have recalled Josh Rojas from Triple-A Reno. Rojas is in the lineup and scheduled to start at third base for the D-backs against the Mariners on Saturday.
After making the opening day roster for the second time in his five-year career, Rojas was sent down to Triple-A Reno midway through June. Before being sent down, the Phoenix native recorded a .235 batting average and .305 slugging percentage.
Rojas also spent some time on the IL down in Reno due to a back problem. Following his return, Josh went 7-18 at the plate over the past week in Triple-A.
First pitch for Saturday’s game against the Mariners will be at 5:10.
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