The Arizona Diamondbacks are on the road, beginning a three-game series with the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, with first pitch scheduled for 3:40 p.m. MST.
Ahead of Tuesday afternoon's game, manager Torey Lovullo provided updates on four of Arizona's injured players. These were reported originally by The Arizona Republic's José Romero on X/Twitter.
According to Lovullo, All-Star Second Baseman Ketel Marte will hit in a sim game at Salt River Fields on Tuesday. It is not known whether or not Marte will run, but as of this writing he has been limited to taking swings, and will face live pitching Tuesday.
Marte is recovering from what has been described as a grade one hamstring strain. The recovery time is typically 2-4 weeks for an injury of that nature. It was initially expected that Marte might be out until the latter end of April, or perhaps into early May, with Lovullo providing a "series of weeks" as a rough timeline.
Marte's progression appears to be moving somewhat faster than expected, but no firm timeline for his return has been set, and he could still remain out for some time depending on a variety of factors. The markers to look for are when Marte can not only run in a straight line, but also make left hand turns on the bases.
Right-hand reliever Kevin Ginkel will pitch in the same game facing live batters at Salt River Fields as he progresses in his recovery from right shoulder inflammation. Ginkel's injury was not initially considered to be severe, and he appears to be nearing a return. The team is still working out the details of a possible short rehab assignment in the minor leagues.
Right-hander Kendall Graveman will throw another bullpen session on Tuesday, as he continues his recovery from a back injury. No timeline is set for Graveman either, but he appears to be somewhat behind Ginkel in his track back to playing. Graveman missed all of 2024 due to shoulder surgery.
Infielder Blaze Alexander is back in the lineup for the Reno Aces, playing shortstop. Alexander was rehabbing from an Oblique Strain in Triple-A when he dealt with a hip impingement, but appears to have dodged a larger injury. The injury was not likely related to the Oblique issue, and was not considered a setback.
The Aces also activated outfielder Cristian Pache from the Injured List Tuesday. Pache had been down with an unspecified injury since early in Spring Training, after signing a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks in the offseason. The defensive specialist bats from the right side and is considered minor league depth.
The D-backs have managed to go 5-4 since losing Marte, and though the offense has looked inconsistent, they have found ways to win games late. Once their All-Star does return, he'll be on a return-to-play protocol, likely playing every other day and spending some time at DH. In the meantime the Diamondbacks will be depended on Corbin Carroll and the recently emergent Geraldo Perdomo to continue their hot hitting.
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