ST. LOUIS — Left-hander Mitch Bratt is joining the Diamondbacks on the taxi squad on Tuesday, June 23, and is expected to be active for his major league debut on Wednesday night, June 24, against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Bratt, 22, is one of the club’s better pitching prospects. He owns a 2.84 ERA in 44 1/3 innings, with 12 walks and 42 strikeouts, in Triple-A Reno this season.
He recently returned from a two-week stint on the injured list with a shoulder issue and has not yet built up his pitch count fully. As such, he won’t be an option to turn in a full, typical start, but he could provide a shorter outing — perhaps up to 60 pitches or so — in some fashion.
Bratt does not have overpowering stuff — his fastball typically sits in the low-90s — but he has shown a knack for getting outs the past two years in the upper levels of the minors. He logged a 3.38 ERA in 122 1/3 innings at Double-A last season.
Bratt was part of the return from the Texas Rangers in the Merrill Kelly trade last July.
Diamondbacks at Cardinals, 4:45 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34
Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (6-2, 2.45) vs. Cardinals RHP Kyle Leahy (5-4, 4.63).
At Busch Stadium: Rodriguez worked seven innings of one-run ball against the Los Angeles Angels to earn his 100th career victory. … It was the 12th time in 15 starts in which Rodriguez has given up three or fewer runs. … Rodriguez has started against the Cardinals only twice in his career, both outings coming in 2017. … He has never faced any of the Cardinals’ current hitters in a regular-season game. … Leahy gave up three runs in six innings against the Padres in his most recent start. … He has been a relatively steady source of five-inning outings – he has gone five in 11 of 14 starts – but has yet to pitch beyond the sixth. … Leahy has a six-pitch mix, starting with a fastball that averages 93.9 mph.
Coming up
Wednesday, June 24: At St. Louis, 4:45 p.m., Diamondbacks TBA vs. Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (3-4, 5.23).
Thursday, June 25: At St. Louis, 4:45 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (3-6, 6.10) vs. Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (3-6, 3.35).
Friday, June 26: At Tampa, 4:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (0-1, 5.92) vs. Rays Nick Martinez (6-2, 2.73).
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks vs Cardinals. Pitching prospect Mitch Bratt gets call
