Diamondbacks’ Moreno Benched for Back Tightness, Lovullo Confirms Precautionary Move

After being placed on the injured list, there was considerable concern about Gabriel Moreno and the reason behind his absence from the Diamondbacks’ lineup for their Thursday game against the Royals.

Manager Torey Lovullo has confirmed, however, that there’s no cause for alarm, as Moreno is merely experiencing some lower back tightness.

Lovullo explained that the decision to leave Moreno out of the lineup is a precautionary measure to ensure he gets the rest needed to avoid any serious injury. In Moreno’s place, 33-year-old veteran Tucker Barnhart will take over the catcher’s responsibilities.

The Diamondbacks acquired Moreno via a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2022 offseason. In his rookie season with Arizona, Moreno won the Gold Glove award after leading the league with a 39% caught stealing rate.

Throughout this year’s spring training, Moreno has achieved a .235 batting average across 20 at-bats.

First pitch for the Diamondbacks game versus the Royals is scheduled for 1:10 PM. The D-backs are looking to pick up their first win in over six games as they are currently in an 0-5-1 slump.