PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ryne Nelson was a bit surprised to stay in Monday’s game against the San Francisco Giants at 85 pitches, which was his prescribed limit.
Nelson recorded the second out of the seventh inning, after which Arizona had no more wiggle room and pulled him at 88 pitches.
Nelson’s pitch count became a character of the story on Monday, as San Francisco tied the game one pitch after Nelson exited on a Tyler Fitzgerald double. Arizona stayed composed and won the ballgame, 4-2, but how much longer will Nelson be limited when he takes the mound?
RELATED STORIES
Diamondbacks ban fan ejected for interference in win vs. Giants
Corbin Carroll operating with intent to return before All-Star break
“ I think it’s gonna start to uptick here shortly,” manager Torey Lovullo said of Nelson’s pitch count. “Maybe an outing or two more in this space, and then it will definitely uptick. It’s what it is. I just do it. I’m just gonna do it. I gave you guys a lengthy explanation. … It’s the decision that’s made and we’re gonna stick with it.”
Nelson has been one of the best starters in the game in recent weeks with a 1.61 ERA in his last four starts. The Diamondbacks have managed him carefully after moving him from a long relief role back into the rotation a couple times this year.
Nelson told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo, “ I think that it should start going up soon. I don’t think it’s gonna be a whole year thing. I think maybe a couple more on the limited pitch count, but nothing more than that.”
How's Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson feeling coming off yesterday's win over the Giants?
He provided an update while on with @BurnsAndGambo.
The Clubhouse Call-In is brought to you by Dog Haus. pic.twitter.com/TWGcQj6YV8
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) July 1, 2025
The pitch count is a collaborative effort with medical staff input to keep him healthy. Nelson said there is nothing specifically wrong with him physically, but he’s felt soreness after throwing. Lovullo said he’d detail those issues in the book he’ll never write.
“A lot of it just comes down to the little bit of a back-and-forth at the start of the year,” Nelson said. “Kind of easing my way back into the rotation and not just going full blown right away. … It’s something they study a lot, so I think when they tell me this is the best decision, that’s what I’m gonna go with.”
Nelson’s last five appearances have been starts. Before that, nine of his first 12 outings came out of the bullpen.
James McCann explains how catchers learn in new environments
It’s never the easiest transition from one team to another in the middle of a season, but that process as a catcher is another beast. James McCann lives in that space after he signed with the Diamondbacks on June 23 to fill in with Gabriel Moreno on the injured list.
When asked how he gets up to speed working with a new pitching staff, he called it a loaded question.
“There’s a lot that goes into it,” McCann told Arizona Sports. “With all the data in today’s game … I can look at the data, look at the way pitches perform, use all that stuff.
“The most difficult part is getting to know each pitcher and figuring out what makes each of those guys tick, what makes them go when things are going good. … Are there key words that help them get back into sync when they get outta sync? The relationship part is the hardest because you’re trying to squeeze six weeks of spring training and two months of what’s already gone by in the season into a short amount of time.”
Getting caught up with the coaching staff, fellow catchers and just having those conversations with each pitcher is what McCann has worked through. Showing pitchers that effort is a way to earn trust.
The Diamondbacks have another resource to lean on in former catcher Miguel Montero, an advisor for the club who has been in the dugout a lot lately.
“He’s able to give a perspective that’s different than, let’s say the pitching coach or the bench coach or the manager just because he’s been been back behind the plate in recent years,” McCann said.
Rare month for Eugenio Suarez
Eugenio Suarez fit one more home run into June on Monday, his 11th of the month.
A month like that has not happened very often in Arizona, only eight times, according to Stathead. J.D. Martinez owns the club record for most home runs in a month with 16 in September 2017. Luis Gonzalez hit 13 in April 2001 and then 12 in June 2001.
Suarez joined Corbin Carroll, Paul Goldschmidt, Jason Kubel and Mark Reynolds as Diamondbacks with 11 home runs in a single month.
Kendall Graveman, Drey Jameson update
Diamondbacks reliever Kendall Graveman threw a 22-pitch bullpen on Tuesday and will throw to live hitters on Friday.
In some less optimistic news, pitcher Drey Jameson was removed from an Arizona Complex League appearance on Friday with right elbow soreness. He will get some imaging, per Lovullo.
The Triple-A Reno Aces put Jameson on the injured list with an elbow issue on May 20.
ADC, Mancini moves
There were some moving parts on Tuesday for Triple-A Reno, notably catching prospect Adrian Del Castillo was reinstated from the IL (lower back). Del Castillo had been limited to five games in Reno entering Tuesday due to injuries.
The Aces also posted a thank you for veteran slugger Trey Mancini, who joined the Diamondbacks on a minor league deal before spring training. Mancini opted out of his contract to become a free agent and was officially released. He hit .308 with an .895 OPS and 16 home runs with Reno this season.
Veteran infielder Nicky Lopez also opted out of his minor league deal with the club, per insider Robert Murray.
Corbin Carroll return about pain tolerance
Lovullo said he spoke to Corbin Carroll in the training room on Tuesday, and Carroll maintained an optimistic outlook on his recovery from a fractured wrist. Carroll’s goal is to be back before the All-Star break, and how he gets there will likely have to do with pain tolerance once he’s cleared.
“We’re not gonna ask him to go out there and be Hercules,” Lovullo said. “We want him to be safe and comfortable. But the first question I ask is if we put him out there sooner than we’re supposed to, if we put him out there longer than he’s supposed to be, what is the chance of him getting hurt?
“If it’s very high, we don’t even touch it. If it’s somewhere down the middle of the fairway, we will consider all options and do what we can to figure out what’s best for the player and team. And then if it’s minimal, that’s when we start to push the player forward a little bit.”
Lovullo said they are somewhere in between the second and third option there.
Hazen: Hope is a dangerous word
General manager Mike Hazen told MLB insiders Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman on a podcast Tuesday that other teams have been calling him about D-backs players.
Hazen maintained that he still wants to buy, but he explained that “hope” is the most dangerous word at this point in the year. He has to see the club play more consistent baseball to put him in position to buy, which is consistent with previous interviews he’s done leading up to July.
The deadline is on July 31, and the D-backs hovering around .500 are just outside the thick of the Wild Card race.
Follow @alexjweiner
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Diamondbacks notes: Torey Lovullo, Ryne Nelson say pitch count will go up )
Also on site :
- ‘Loves tennis’ – I coached Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka and this two-time Ballon d’Or winner shocked me the most
- “He trynna compete with Lewis Hamilton legacy”: F1 world sent into frenzy as Max Verstappen to Mercedes rumors intensify
- I’m NFL star turned monster truck driver who was Goldberg’s first official loss but WWE refuse to acknowledge me