NEW YORK — Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday because of a strained right hamstring.
The defending National League champions recalled right-hander Slade Cecconi from Triple-A Reno before the second game of a four-game series against the New York Mets.
Gallen was removed six pitches into Thursday night's start at Citi Field. He went back to Arizona on Friday to undergo an MRI and get evaluated by team doctors.
The 28-year-old right-hander is 5-4 with a 3.12 ERA in 11 starts. He finished in the top five of NL Cy Young Award voting each of the past two years, including third last season when he went 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA in 210 innings and made his first All-Star team.
Gallen's injury is the latest blow to a slumping Diamondbacks team that had lost four straight to fall six games under .500 at 25-31, equaling a season low. Arizona already was missing starters Merrill Kelly, sidelined since April 15 by a strained right shoulder, and Eduardo Rodriguez, who hasn’t pitched this season because of a strained left shoulder after signing an $80 million, four-year contract as a free agent.
“It hurts, there’s no doubt about it," manager Torey Lovullo said. “I hated having to pull him off the field. I think everybody felt the same way. But nobody can feel sorry for themselves.”
Rodriguez is throwing at 75 feet, Lovullo said, and Kelly is scheduled to begin a throwing program next week.
All-Star shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (right meniscus tear) was set to play a minor league rehab game Friday in the Arizona Complex League, getting three at-bats as the designated hitter.
Right-handed reliever Miguel Castro (right shoulder inflammation) was scheduled to throw from 100 feet.
Cecconi, 24, was 1-4 with a 6.12 ERA in five starts and one relief appearance for the Diamondbacks earlier this season. He is 1-5 with a 5.31 ERA in 13 major league games (nine starts) — all with Arizona over the past two years.
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Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
