Gabriel Moreno injury situation presents huge problem for the Diamondbacks

Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno left during the team’s 5-4 win over the Phillies with a left thumb sprain. Moreno might have initially injured his thumb attempting to slide around Edmundo Sosa’s tag trying to stretch a single into a double in the first inning. He stayed in the game and played through the sixth inning before getting replaced by Tucker Barnhart, hitting a two-run home run in his next at-bat.

It’s unclear what the severity of the sprain is, as that would likely determine the amount of time Moreno will be out. It’s very possible he’ll require a stint on the 10-day injured list. That means José Herrera would be the likely callup candidate to fill Moreno’s spot on the active roster. Herrera has since been pulled from Reno’s game, with Ronaldo Hernández finishing the game out.

The Diamondbacks have suffered a large amount of injuries, heavily affecting their starting rotation, the shortstop position, and the outfield. For all those injuries, they’ve been able to weather it out thanks to internal candidates stepping up to fill the void. However, catcher may be the one position where the team lacks viable internal candidates. Both Barnhart and Herrera profile as backups, and Adrian Del Castillo is still more of a bat-first catcher who the organization will likely want to see a full season of work at the plate before adding him to the roster.

The lengthier the absence for Moreno, the more problematic it could become for Arizona. The reigning National League Gold Glover has deterred opposing teams from running thanks to his plus arm and quick transfer. Moreno’s average pop time to second of 1.89 seconds ranks fourth amongst major league catchers with a minimum of fifteen throws to second.

In addition to his glove, he has provided decent offensive value. In 61 games, Moreno is hitting .230 with three home runs and a .659 OPS. FanGraphs rates his offense to be just 11% below the average major league hitter with a 89 wRC+. The average wRC+ for MLB catchers is 89, putting Moreno right at the positional average. With him out of the lineup, the position takes a huge hit offensively.

The Diamondbacks have navigated through most of their injury situations, posting a .500 record through their first 76 games, but Moreno’s injury could likely be the one that sets the tone for how the rest of the season is going to play out. It has the potential to completely sink their season, but if they can successfully navigate through this one as well, they will have the confidence necessary to make a run in the second half of the season.