Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno avoids major injury - "I should be available for the rest of the playoffs"
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno had to be removed from Wednesday's NLDS matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was removed in the fifth inning after a foul ball ricocheted and hit his hand.
Moreno met with trainers and stayed in the game briefly before exiting in the bottom of the inning. He was clearly in pain and went to get testing done.
Fortunately, Moreno is in good spirits after tests came back negative. He should be available for the rest of the postseason, given that he does not face another injury. This is huge for the Diamondbacks.
"The hand is good, thank God. Everything came back negative, so I should be available for the rest of the playoffs" Moreno stated.
So far, Gabriel Moreno has been stellar for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has seen the ball well in the postseason, hitting three home runs and six RBIs in only five games.
This is Moreno's first full season in the big leagues. He played in 25 games last season with the Toronto Blue Jays before being traded in the offseason with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for Daulton Varsho.
In 111 games this season, Moreno slashed .284/.339/.408 with seven home runs and 50 RBIs. The future is bright for this young backstop as he continues to develop.
Gabriel Moreno and the Arizona Diamondbacks are in a good spot
Gabriel Moreno and the Arizona Diamondbacks put themselves in a good spot by sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers. They now have time to rest, relax, and see who they play in the NLCS.
The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies square off on Thursday, with the Phillies needing just one more win to advance. They have surprised the Braves, who dominated the regular season.
The Diamondbacks will be more rested and have fresher arms than whoever advances, which is especially important in the postseason. You cannot have too many available pitchers in any postseason series.
While this is a team that many did not have high expectations for, they are proving doubters wrong. They have gotten strong pitching, and their offense has not batted an eye, largely outscoring the Dodgers 19-6.
The Diamondbacks got hot at just the right time and will try to carry this momentum the rest of the way. They want to capture a World Series title, which they have only done once during the 2001 season.