The Arizona Diamondbacks currently are a game up on the San Diego Padres, but that won't last long if Zac Gallen picks up where he left off.

In the midst of a crucial four-game series, the last thing the Diamondbacks can afford to do is let Gallen ruin their positive trajectory.

Coming off a dominant 8-0 win, Arizona looks to Gallen as he's set to make his second to last start in the first half of this 2026 season.

Diamondbacks fans know this season hasn't gone according to plan for the 30-year-old, but Arizona has stuck with the veteran righty so far. If there is going to be a turnaround, it needs to happen now with the All-Star break just a few days away.

There isn't a single third-place team in all of baseball who's as far back as the Padres. Sitting 15.0 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, that sheds a light on just how much it's going to take Arizona, or San Diego, for that matter, to try and compete for a National League West title.

Gallen is set to make his 19th start of the season. As long as everything goes according to plan, he'll make 20 starts in the first half of the season, and it's not like he has many that went his way.

The New Jersey native has an abysmal 3-8 record with an even worse 6.36 ERA. His WHIP sits at 1.57, so that's not terrible, but his -1.6 WAR sheds light onto just how bad things have been.

Gallen's lone start against the Padres this year came on Saturday, April 25. He went just three innings in that one, throwing 49 pitches, but it was one of his best performances of the year. Gallen allowed just one hit and three of his nine outs came via strikeout. 

The Diamondbacks mainstay is coming off a 5.2-inning outing where he allowed six earned runs on seven hits. He ended June with a five-run performance on four hits, going 6.2 innings in that one. Back on June 20, he gave up 12 hits in just 4.0 innings, allowing nine earned runs to score in the process.

Manager Torey Lovullo doesn't seem to realize that Gallen can't pitch super deep into games anymore, and that's okay. As long as he pulls Gallen at the right time, things could begin to change for the better. Lately, he's left him in one inning too long which has made these starts look far worse than they truly were.

Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!

It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.

Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!