"I think we really dodged a bullet" - Torey Lovullo expresses relief as Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen avoids major injury after early exit
The Arizona Diamondbacks fell to a 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Seattle Mariners in the first game of the series on Friday. Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen's hamstring injury scare compounded the miseries of last year's World Series runner-ups.
Gallen winced in pain and was visually frustrated during Julio Rodríguez's at-bats in the sixth inning. After a discussion with the athletic trainer, the All-Star pitcher was taken out of the game, leaving the Diamondbacks fearing the worst in an injury-riddled season.
However, the injury is not as serious as previously thought with the club's manager Torey Lovullo expressing relief following the game.
“Just a right hamstring spasm and I think we really dodged a bullet,” Lovullo said. “Credit him. It’s hard to pull back in those situations and understand what you body is feeling and call out your catcher. I think he’s hopefully going to be fine."
Lovulla asserted that the team will continue to monitor Gallen's progress with the ace pitcher likely to make a swift return. However, he admitted feeling concerned when the team was checking up on the pitcher's troubled hamstring at the mound.
“I can’t help myself," Lovullo said. "It’s human nature with everything we’ve been going through over the past three, four weeks, plus."
Zac Gallen confident of a quick return for Diamondbacks
Torey Lovullo's team has made a rocky start to the season, with injuries to three starting pitchers, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodríguez and Ryne Nelson, causing concern to the Diamondbacks faithful.
Gallen's early exit on Friday seemed like a precautionary move, with the 28-year-old pitcher not expected to miss much of the action.
“I don’t plan on missing any time,” Gallen said (via azcentral.com). “Only time will tell, but I feel pretty encouraged by how it’s felt, even out there just walking around. We’ll see.”
“I kind of know it’s not something necessarily to mess around with and pitch through."
The Diamondbacks ace acknowledged the ongoing injury concern with the team's rotation and felt it was important not to risk aggravating his minor injury by continuing to pitch during the game.
Gallen allowed three hits and conceded three runs before his early exit. Seattle Mariners went hard against reliever Scott McGough as Mitch Haniger dispatched a grand slam to extend his team's lead right after Gallen's exit.