DENVER -- Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll was out of the lineup for the third straight game on Sunday and will undergo an MRI on his left hand Monday when the team arrives in Chicago for a three-game series with the White Sox.
Carroll was hit on the hand Wednesday night in Toronto and X-rays taken after the game at Rogers Centre were negative. He was held out of the lineup the next day, but manager Torey Lovullo said at the time he hoped Carroll would be able to play during the three-game weekend series against the Rockies in Denver.
Carroll did not play and was not available on Friday night, per Lovullo. He did not start Saturday night’s game either, though Lovullo said Carroll was available off the bench for that game.
When asked prior to Sunday afternoon's 4-2 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field if he was concerned that Carroll hasn’t been able to play for a few days, Lovullo said “yes and no,” citing that all indications were that Carroll’s hand is improving.
But the team does have some concern after the recent experience with catcher Gabriel Moreno.
Moreno was struck on his right hand by a foul tip in Cincinnati on June 6 and X-rays taken at the time were negative. Moreno then went for an MRI after missing a few days and that too did not show any breaks in his hand.
Moreno returned to the lineup four days after being hit and played three games -- June 10, 13 and 14 -- before complaining of more pain in the hand.
A second MRI taken in Toronto showed a hairline fracture and he was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday.
After Carroll was not in the starting lineup Saturday, Lovullo said the decision to have him undergo an MRI on Monday was made.
“Just because it's not progressing as quickly as we wanted it to, and because of what we've just gone through with Gabi and several of the injuries that we've been taking on, we want to definitely get a baseline,” Lovullo said.
The Diamondbacks have been hit hard with injuries this year. Starting pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Corbin Burnes along with Minor League starter Blake Walson have undergone Tommy John surgery. Relievers A.J. Puk, Justin Martinez and Minor League starter Tommy Henry have all either undergone elbow surgery or have one scheduled.
Then there is the injury to Moreno. All of it adds up to a team wanting to be extra cautious with Carroll at this point.
It has also left Lovullo trying to rally the spirits of the clubhouse.
“It’s hard not to be distracted by it,” Lovullo said. “It’s a real thing. It's my job to just keep the ship on its course. And sometimes it gets rocky, there's no doubt about it, but we as coaches, we want to be consistent. We want to come every day with the same energy, the same positive outlook, holding the players accountable to what's going on every single day, and let the players go out there and perform.”