After watching the rest of the National League West battle through
injury problems, the Diamondbacks finally got their first taste of health woes
when veteran reliever Terry Mulholland was placed on the 15-day disabled list
with inflammation in his left elbow.
The Diamondbacks purchased the contract of right-hander Casey Daigle from
Triple-A Tucson, adding him to the 40-man roster. He will be used mostly in
middle and long relief, though the former starting pitcher was converted to a
closer last season and notched 18 saves at Double-A Tennessee.
Mulholland, now in his 20th big-league season, pitched 1 2/3 innings Tuesday
against Colorado and said his elbow began to swell on Wednesday afternoon. He
said it feels similar to problems he has previously had in his career, in which
he twice underwent surgery to remove bone chips or spurs from the elbow.
"The way it feels, there's probably a good possibility there's something
floating around in there," Mulholland said. If he needs surgery, he could be
facing a six-week recovery time.
REPLAY: For the past two or three years, opposing teams have been testing the
arm of left fielder Luis Gonzalez, and after he underwent ligament-replacement
surgery in the fall of 2004, it was hard to blame them.
But Gonzalez made two great throws from left field on Wednesday, twice cutting
down the Rockies' Danny Ardoin, and on one of those plays, he helped prevent a
sure Colorado run from scoring.
It was Gonzalez's second two-assist game of his career, with the other coming
June 22, 2004, at San Diego.
Gonzalez's seventh-inning double drove in the go-ahead run as the Diamondbacks
edged the Rockies 5-4.
NOTES, QUOTES
--RF Shawn Green recorded Arizona's first stolen base of the season with a
fourth-inning swipe of second Wednesday against visiting Colorado. The theft
came in the Diamondbacks' eighth game.
--RHP Greg Aquino will be used more in a setup role, along with RHP Luis Vizcaino, with LHP Terry Mulholland going on the disabled list due to a sore
left elbow. Aquino, Vizcaino and RH closer Jose Valverde combined for 3 1/3
scoreless innings and no hits with five strikeouts Wednesday as Arizona beat the
Rockies 5-4.
--LF Luis Gonzalez hit a double Wednesday against the Rockies, leaving him one
shy of reaching 500 for his career and becoming just the 21st player in history
to record 500 doubles and 300 home runs. Barry Bonds is the only active player
on the list.
"You look at the list of guys that are on that," manager Bob Melvin said, "and
they're all Hall of Famers. ... Putting his name in there does not look odd --
not to me."
--RHP Miguel Batista is 0-for-6 this season with six strikeouts.
--C Chris Snyder, the backup to Johnny Estrada, has two home runs and seven RBIs
in three starts this season.
BY THE NUMBERS: 7 -- Earned runs allowed by Arizona's starting pitchers after
their first four games.