The Arizona Diamondbacks are moving struggling right-hander Zac Gallen into a bullpen role, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters at Chase Field on Sunday.
Gallen just returned from the 60-day Injured List on September 9, making his first start for Arizona since July 7. Though his box score was not remarkably ugly, it was clear he did not have confidence in his arsenal and was quite susceptible to hard contact.
Gallen and fellow right-hander Michael Soroka combined for a "piggyback" type of start in that game, both pitching bulk innings. Though Soroka gave up a three-run homer out of the bullpen, his stuff and command looked sharper.
Lovullo said that on Tuesday, that arrangement will change. Soroka will be given the start over Gallen, and Gallen will provide length out of the bullpen.
Here's why the Diamondbacks made that decision:
Sep 9, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Lovullo, too, saw a sharper performance by Soroka than Gallen in their most recent outing.
"It was probably Michael Soroka and his ability to go out there and command the baseball and create swing and miss. That, to me, is what won the race," the manager said.
"Michael's been a little healthier version as of late. I know that if you're comparing it, they overlap with injuries, but I think the time down, Michael had a little less time down, and I just feel like Mike at this time is going to give us the best chance to win a baseball game."
It's hard to argue with the wholesale results. Despite giving up three runs in four innings in his last appearance, Soroka has a 3.53 ERA on the season and a 23.1% strikeout rate.
Gallen, meanwhile, had the worst qualified ERA in baseball (6.34) at the time of his injury, and was only able to lower it to 6.22 in his latest start . His strikeout rate has plummeted to 13.6%, a career low.
Lovullo said Gallen took the news "well," though the two had a lengthy follow-up chat ahead of Lovullo's media session on Sunday.
"We've had several conversations with him. He's a great teammate. He understood. He didn't like it. ... I had a follow-up conversation with him this morning that went a little lengthy," he said.
"I wanted to make sure I gave Zac every bit of my attention that I possibly could, and we'll continue to do so. That's what I believe in, and we're going to work through this the best way we know how with Zac, but he took it well enough."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi as Diamondbacks Moving Struggling Zac Gallen to Bullpen Role .
