The Arizona Diamondbacks are just 2.5 games out of the lead in the National League West behind the super-hot Los Angeles Dodgers and while the team is working their way back into the race, things might get a bit tougher, as catcher Miguel Montero was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
According to ESPN.com, Montero was placed on the 15-day DL with a lower back strain and the team made the announcement on Thursday before playing a makeup game with Texas. The Diamondbacks were active in the trade market, sending pitcher Ian Kennedy to the San Diego Padres for bullpen help in the form of left hander Joe Thatcher. Montero hits the DL after hitting .228 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs this season and a .316 on base percentage.
Kennedy was previously a Cy Young candidate for the team two years ago when he went 21-4, but this season he has struggled while going just 3-8 with a plus-5.00 ERA and now the team has some more strength in the bullpen. The Padres pick up Kennedy just as he is in a stretch of starting games without winning for two months and the trade also included a minor league player and a draft pick. The trade happened late in the day during the final hours of the deadline and comes a few years after he was traded from the Yankees in a three year deal that involved Phil Coke and Curtis Granderson.
Funny enough, Kennedy will start against the team that drafted him in the Yankees on Sunday for the final game of a three-game series at Petco Park. Kennedy moves to the Padres after going 49-38 with a 3.99 ERA while pitching in 133 major league games in his career and he leaves the Diamondbacks after being the opening day starter each of the past two seasons and he is now 0-5 in his last 10 starts. Kennedy also was involved in the Dodgers brawl this year that involved Yasiel Puig and Zack Greinke.
The team made the move retroactive to Monday and Montero hits the DL just as he has been a hot hitter, as he smashed his third home run in the past seven games and before that he missed three games with the back issue. To make up for Montero, Zeke Spruill was recalled from Triple-A Reno, and the team picked up the contract of catcher Tuffy Gosewisch from Reno and after that Chaz Roe was optioned to Reno.
"He's the first guy I have ever traded for twice," said Padres general manager Josh Byrnes. "He is a very legitimate starting pitcher, something we need to take another step forward. Obviously in his best year he almost won a Cy Young Award so we're happy to have him."
