Gabriel Moreno Rattles Off Three Hits In Win On Friday
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno rattled off three hits on Friday, all against Cubs starter Justin Steele, in Arizona's 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. Moreno had two singles and a double on top of recording two runs and an RBI. It was the 24-year-old's third three hit game of July as he increased his OPS to .710 on the season. Moreno has had a solid July at the plate, a great sign after a slow start to the season. His .931 OPS in July greatly outpaces his .580 OPS in May and his .730 OPS in June. With a .309 wOBA and a .320 xwOBA, Moreno should see more positive regression coming his way. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues looking for help at the catcher spot may want to look his way. He should get his next shot in the lineup Saturday against Cubs scheduled started Kyle Hendricks.
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (back) has returned to the starting lineup on Thursday against the visiting Atlanta Braves in the series finale after being scratched from Wednesday's contest due to lower back tightness. Moreno is behind the plate and is batting second against Braves left-hander Max Fried. Against the southpaw, Moreno will move all the way up to the two-hole for only the eighth time in 2024. It's been a bit of a disappointing season for the 24-year-old Venezuelan catcher in his second full MLB season, as he enters Thursday's game with a .251/.333/.379 slash line, four home runs and 31 RBI in 69 games played. However, he'll have more DFS upside while batting second and has hit .276 (21-for-76) against left-handers this year, albeit without any home runs.
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (back) has been scratched from Wednesday's starting lineup against the visiting Atlanta Braves due to lower-back discomfort. However, Moreno will be available off the bench, according to the Diamondbacks. Jose Herrera will now catch right-hander Slade Cecconi and will hit ninth in the batting order against Braves veteran right-hander Charlie Morton. The fact that the 24-year-old Moreno is available off the bench on Wednesday means his injury probably isn't all that serious and he could be back in the starting lineup for the series finale against Atlanta on Thursday. Moreno has been an average hitter in 2024, but he's looked better of late, going 13-for-44 (.296) with two home runs, three doubles, nine RBI and a stolen base in his last 13 games since June 15. Check back on Thursday to see if he's back behind the plate.
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (thumb) has been activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Moreno will make his return to the field after missing two weeks due to a left thumb sprain. He'll serve as the catcher and bat sixth versus right-hander Bobby Miller. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Moreno back in their lineups ahead of first pitch.
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (thumb) appears to be extremely close to making a return to the field. The organization believes that Moreno could be activated as early as Tuesday. The 24-year-old was placed on the injured list last Saturday due to a sprained left thumb. The D-Backs have said they don't believe Moreno will require a rehab assignment. That being said, Moreno should be back in the D-Backs lineup in the middle of the week. Tucker Barnhart figures to see additional playing time until Moreno returns.
Gabriel Moreno Expected To Have Minimal Injured List Stint
The Arizona Diamondbacks are confident that catcher Gabriel Moreno (thumb) will have a minimum stint on the 10-day injured list, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Moreno still has boxes to check off with his sprained left thumb, notably catching right-hander Zac Gallen's (hamstring) bullpen session on Thursday and playing an Arizona Complex League game over the weekend. He has been hitting off a tee and playing catch. Barring a setback the rest of this week, Moreno is in line to come off the IL for the start of a series in Los Angeles against the division-rival Dodgers next Tuesday. Tucker Barnhart and Jose Herrera have stepped up with Moreno hurt, with Barnhart getting starter's reps. Lovullo said on Tuesday that catching is the bigger hurdle for Moreno than hitting, specifically the ability to square up pitches.
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (thumb) will catch Zac Gallen's bullpen session on Thursday. Manager Torey Lovullo said before Tuesday's game against the visiting Minnesota Twins that he's optimistic Moreno will be able to return after missing the minimum 10 days on the injured list. Moreno sprained his left thumb on a foul tip in this past Friday's contest against the Philadelphia Phillies, but it sounds like he could return to the D-backs during the first week of July and skip a brief minor-league rehab assignment. Fantasy managers in shallow leagues should be able to find better stashes than the 24-year-old contact-hitting backstop, who's slashing an uninspiring .230/.313/.346 with three home runs, 11 doubles, 26 RBI, and 23 runs scored in 217 trips to the plate as Arizona's everyday catcher in 2024.
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (thumb) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday, June 22. Moreno left Friday's game early after suffering a thumb injury. Fortunately, the x-rays came back negative, but Arizona is leaning on the side of caution for their young backstop and is sitting him for at least the next 10 days. In a corresponding move, the Diamondbacks promoted Jose Herrera from Triple-A to serve as the backup catcher to now-starter Tucker Barnhart. Fantasy managers should not be too concerned about Moreno's status, as it looks like he avoided a major injury. Through 61 games this season, the 24-year-old has struggled with a .230 AVG which is a significant drop compared to his .284 and .319 AVG he held the previous two seasons. Barnhart is worth adding in NL-only formats for the time being, as he should be in line to start most games and could be a sneaky play in DFS throughout the next week.
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (thumb) left Friday's game early against the Philadelphia Phillies with a sprained left thumb. Before departing, Moreno at least was able to do damage for his fantasy managers, going 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in the third inning and a run scored. He was replaced behind the plate by Tucker Barnhart in the sixth inning. It's unclear exactly how serious the 24-year-old's injury is, but we wouldn't be surprised at all if it requires a trip to the injured list. For however long Moreno is out, Barnhart would serve as Arizona's primary backstop. Moreno excelled in his first year in the desert in 2023 with a .284 average and also won a Gold Glove, but he's been struggling offensively in 2024, as he entered Friday's contest with a .223/.308/.324 line with only two homers and 24 RBI in 60 games played. UPDATE: Manager Torey Lovullo said X-rays were negative on Moreno's thumb.
Gabriel Moreno Scratched From Saturday's Game With Illness
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno was scratched from Saturday's lineup with an apparent illness. Tucker Barnhart will start in his spot and will hit ninth. The 24-year-old will be available off the bench if needed. Fantasy managers shouldn't worry about Moreno's future status, especially given his availability off the bench for tonight's game. Moreno had been having a solid start to June going 6-22 with a homer and three RBI. Expect him to be available in the lineup over the weekend. DFS managers will want to avoid adding Barnhart to their lineups if tempted as the 33-year-old vet is hitting for just a .148 BA this season.
