Chad Tracy must play everyday for the Diamondbacks that are a team that has to scratch for every run they get, so the question is where?  Will it be 3B, 1B or RF?  The easy solution would be to play Tracy in RF and demote Carlos Quentin.  Quentin has outstanding potential for the future but he’s been playing hurt and it’s hurting him in the field and with the bat in his hands.  Quentin is only hitting .205 with a .640 OPS and that is pitiful for a right fielder in the major leagues.  Tracy did play 51 games in the outfield in 2005 so he can handle it but he might make some defensive mistakes early on.  It’s also possible that Tracy could get some time at first base as Conor Jackson isn’t exactly ripping the cover off of the baseball.  Jackson is hitting .273 with a .813 OPS, but he’s a big part of the D-Backs future so I don’t see him losing playing time any time soon.  The D-Backs could send Mark Reynolds to the minor leagues to open up third base for Chad Tracy, after all it was his position before he got injured.  Still, Reynolds has hit the ball very well for the Diamondbacks as he’s hitting .290 with a .867 OPS.  It makes the most sense to put Tracy in RF as that maximizes the Diamondbacks offense for right now.  It will be interesting to see how the Diamondbacks handle this situation.

The Diamondbacks have acquired 21 year old outfielder Aaron Cunningham from the White Sox in exchange for 23 year old 2B Danny Richar.  Cunningham has played in 67 games in Hi-A ball this season and he’s 74 of 252 (.294 avg, .852 OPS) with 51 runs scored, 8 homers, 37 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.  This was a good move for the Diamondbacks as Cunningham has more upside than Richar does.

The Diamondbacks have placed Randy Johnson on the 15-day disabled list with muscle tighness in his back.  Johnson has started 9 games this season so far and he’s 4-2 with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP.  He has thrown 53.2 innings this season and he has allowed 46 hits, walked 11 batters and whiffed 70.  This will hurt the Diamondbacks quite a bit as Johnson has really pitched well lately.  Edgar Gonzalez will take over in the rotation for Johnson.  He has pitched in 11 games (6 starts) for the D-Backs so far this season and he is 2-2 with a 4.73 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.  He has thrown 45.2 innings so far this season and he has allowed 47 hits, walked 10 batters and whiffed 38.  The D-Backs have recalled Enrique Gonzalez from AAA ball to replace Johnson on the roster.  He has started 13 games in AAA and he’s 3-5 with a 4.74 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP.  He has thrown 74 innings and he has allowed 88 hits, walked 26 batters and whiffed 53.  He will work out of the bullpen.

Conor Jackson is picking up the pace with the bat and the D-Backs really need it.  In his last 6 games, Jackson is 6 for 19 (.316 avg, 1.067 OPS) with 3 runs scored, 1 homer and 5 RBIs.  His recent surge has improved his season average to .283 and his OPS to .837.  The D-Backs need Jackson to continue hitting well because if the offense keeps doing their part the Diamondbacks will have a good chance of making the playoffs because of their outstanding pitching.

The last two weeks the Diamondbacks are 8-4 as they’ve outscored their opponents 50-44.  The D-Backs hitting is starting to come around and that’s the reason for the recent surge as their pitching has been good all season long.  The D-Backs enter this week with a 37-27 record which has them tied for first place in the National League West with the Padres, 1.5 games ahead of the Dodgers.