Low velocity and a ballooning pitch count plagued Zac Gallen in his return to the mound, leaving the Arizona Diamondbacks with more questions than answers.
There's still plenty of work that needs to be done with Zac Gallen as his first Arizona Diamondbacks rehab start didn't go according to plan.
It's not like he allowed a ton of hits and runs, far from it, but his velocity remained a bit down, and the most important part was his pitch count.
Obviously, this organization doesn't want to take any chances with the veteran. He's clearly in a different spot than Corbin Burnes, someone who went six up, six down in his first rehab start the day prior.
As for Gallen, he allowed just one hit in 1.2 innings of work, but he walked two batters and needed 38 pitches to record five outs.
To say that's not great would be an understatement.
Gallen hasn't pitched in the big leagues since Tuesday, July 7, but now this team has to wonder not just when, but if he'll even be able to contribute enough should he return this season.
Gallen was pulled after 38 pitches
Gallen recorded an out on his first pitch of the game, which was a 92.4-mph four-seam fastball. Two batters later, he allowed a four-pitch walk, but he then won a seven-pitch battle to end the first inning with no damage done.
After a 16-pitch first inning, Gallen needed 12 pitches to strike out the first two batters he faced in the second inning. Then, he allowed a four-pitch single, followed by a six-pitch walk that resulted in him being pulled from the game.
Diamondbacks have a big decision to make
It's not like the D-backs would be shutting Gallen down for the year, but there's a lot to think about when it comes to his spot in this rotation.
At 31 years old, Gallen has definitely seen better days, but even with his inflated ERA this season, he'd still manage to go five-plus innings on a consistent basis.
His 3-9 record and 6.34 ERA aren't ideal, and he had taken four straight losses before being placed on the Injured List.
If his first rehab start was any indication, then it shows that Gallen still needs time to get back on track. He's started all 195 games he's pitched in throughout his major-league career, so it's not like the team would even consider moving him to the bullpen.
The D-backs still have a lot to figure out with their starting rotation in the final month of the regular season, but when looking at these two rehab starts, Burnes is clearly ahead of Gallen.
