CHICAGO -- Despite mounting injuries, Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen is still hopeful his team can stay in the playoff race in order for him to add players instead of subtracting them at the trade deadline next month. Interest in his pending free agents will only grow if the team can't overcome a rash of minor to major injuries which have occurred over the past weeks and months.
"I think we're going to have to stay healthy from this point moving forward," Hazen told ESPN before his team faced the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. "I do think there's a critical mass of injuries that happens that we would have to at least be mindful of, but I still think we have every opportunity to be competitive and we're going to get these guys back."
While first baseman Josh Naylor was out of Tuesday's lineup with a shoulder injury, he might be the least of the team's concerns. Hazen and his staff are hopeful they'll avoid the worst-case scenario for MVP candidate Eugenio Suarez, who will miss both Tuesday and Wednesday's games after getting hit on the hand by a pitch in the first inning of Monday's contest. Once the swelling goes down, he's likely to get an MRI on Thursday.
"One of the toughest players I've ever been around," manager Torey Lovullo said. "He was telling me he was ready to play in a baseball game today which is encouraging. I don't know if that will happen unless in an absolute emergency."
The team is already playing without ace Corbin Burnes (Tommy John), catcher Gabriel Moreno (hand), reliever Justin Martinez (Tommy John) as well as outfielder Corbin Carroll who was placed on the injured list with a chip fracture in his left wrist after getting hit there last week. It was a difficult injury for the Diamondbacks to diagnose as they await further analysis before determining how long he'll be out of the lineup.
"Our hand doctor is going to read it," Lovullo said. "I think there will be a second opinion ... It's going to be a very thorough reading, and we'll figure out what the diagnosis is and plan moving forward."
The above injuries only scratch the surface of the walking wounded for the Diamondbacks who are also missing relievers A.J. Puk (elbow surgery), Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John) and Kendall Graveman (hip). Only Graveman is expected back this season.
All the injuries -- combined with a struggling bullpen -- have led to an up-and-down season in the standings for the 2023 National League pennant winners. Heading into Tuesday's game against the White Sox, the Diamondbacks were only two games over .500 (40-38), 2½ games out of a Wild Card berth and 7½ games out of the NL West division lead. It's led to speculation that Hazen might try to regroup for next year, moving top end players like Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Suarez. He was asked if teams have been calling on them already.
"The sharks are in the water," Hazen said, answering the question with a smile. "Of course they are. I don't blame them.
"They all preface it with 'Hey, how ya doing?' I mean, look, we're over .500 and people are calling asking if you're selling. It's a tough phone call to make but they have to do their job and they're making those phone calls."
Hazen then clicked off the competition in the NL which is stiffer than ever. Two years ago, his team made it the World Series after winning just 84 games. Last season, they missed out on the postseason due to a tiebreaker after an 89-win campaign.
"I think the Wild Card needs to come back to us a little bit," Hazen said of this season. "The way the Brewers are playing now is something concerning for us. The Cardinals are a really good team. The Cubs are obviously very good and then the Giants got better with Devers and the Padres are really good and the Reds are really good. They swept us and obviously the two big boys [Mets and Phillies] in the East, and we'll see what happens with Atlanta.
"That's a lot of really good teams and it seems like it's one or two playoff spots that are going to be available for that."
Hazen acknowledged that due to the rash of player position injuries, Arizona might need to start winning games "4-3 instead of 9-3." With still over a month before the trade deadline, he and his manager are hoping the team gives them an idea of what direction to go in with their play on the field.
"We have good players, so I don't see why we shouldn't be able to play good baseball and stay in this and then get those guys back and maybe be able to add on at the deadline," Hazen stated.
Lovullo added: "We're up against it right now. There's no doubt about it. I know this team is not going to back down. They're going to fight. This team is not going to have to do anything alone. We're going to group up and fight that fight together."