Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Yeah, it’s probably my fault. When I asked this question, I wrote “Through the early weeks of the season, it felt like Arizona could almost have assembled a full roster of players on one of the injured lists.” Unfortunately, I then made the fatal mistake of following that up be saying, “However, it now feels like the tide may have turned.” A classic case of speaking too soon, for the baseball gods have punished me for my hubris. Only three days have passed since that piece came out, but in that time the Diamondbacks have lost a trio of players to the injured list: two starting pitchers, in Ryne Nelson and Michael Soroka, plus – again – outfielder Jordan Lawlar. I can only apologize.
Still, let’s plow on regardless, shall we? For the question at hand, was which of the players making their way back from injury, would have the biggest impact on the team going forward? Here are the results:
That’s actually quite a decent spread of opinions. Well, for everyone except Carlos Santana, whom nobody except his mother seems to want to see back on our major-league roster. I think Santana’s physical glove – still getting a good workout despite the absence of its owner – might have a better chance of being re-signed than the player. [I’d not be surprised to see a write-in campaign for that bit of equipment, when it comes time to decide the award for Unsung Hero at the end of the year] But above Carlos, there was no majority choice, with the other three contenders all getting at least twenty percent.
However, it’s Justin Martinez who came out on top. Which is interesting, consider that last week’s SB Reacts poll, showed full confidence in closer Paul Sewald retaining his position, when A.J. Puk returned. Since then, Puk’s rehab has been seriously derailed, with a capsule sprain in his throwing shoulder. He won’t throw for about another month and will then be re-evaluated, so it will be August at the earliest. That means Martinez will likely be back first, though we’ve not heard anything about him recently. Will he take over from Sewald? Based on current performance, probably not initially. But another solid bullpen arm would certainly be helpful.
I did find it interesting that Brian McCann, a backup player, is seen as being more impactful than an everyday played in Lourdes Gurriel Jr. I think it speaks to the importance of the catcher’s position. They don’t operate in isolation, they are also a significant factor in the performance of the pitching staff, factor into controlling the opposition running game. A backup catcher is also likely to see more playing time than, say, a backup first baseman, due to the wear and tear of the position. [Last year, only a handful of men appeared in even 120 games at catcher. More than three times as many did so at first-base]
With the Diamondacks’ injured list swelling again, this may be a topic I’ll revisit on the far side of the All-Star break. Let’s hope it doesn’t need an extra-large poll by that point.
