Ildemaro

Vargas

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo offered an encouraging postgame update after Marte was a late scratch from Tuesday’s contest against the Orioles, telling reporters he’s optimistic he’ll be ready for Wednesday’s series finale. It would be Ildemaro Vargas making another start in his place if he needs additional time off.

Vargas is in the midst of a crazy stretch that’s seen him bat .381/.409/.667 with two homers to start the year. Even though this is his 10th big-league season, the 11-game hitting streak has been sufficient to raise his career OPS from .647 to .660. He was supposed to sit tonight, but with the Diamondbacks being this banged up, he’ll surely be in the lineup most of the time until he cools off.

Marte was scratched from Arizona’s lineup just minutes prior to first pitch in Baltimore. There should be an update from the club following the contest. The 32-year-old fantasy stalwart is presumably day-to-day for now. Ildemaro Vargas was inserted into the leadoff spot and will handle second base in his absence.

It looks to be nothing more than a routine breather for the 32-year-old infielder. Marte is off to a slow start offensively this season, slashing .197/.258/.328 with a pair of homers, seven RBI and zero stolen bases in his first 66 plate appearances while playing every inning of the team’s first 15 games. Ildemaro Vargas will start in his place at second base and hit leadoff for the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Santana was pulled from Sunday’s game versus Atlanta with tightness in his groin, and the 39-year-old will miss at least one more game. It’ll be Ildemaro Vargas handling first base with Santana out.

Santana went 1-for-1 before leaving the game. The 39-year-old will likely undergo imaging to determine if there’s an structural damage. Ildemaro Vargas has replaced Santana in the lineup.

Loáisiga looked like one of Arizona’s best relievers this spring, and he should be a part of the eighth- or ninth-inning mix right away. If he can just stay healthy, he might wind up leading the team in saves. Still, we’re talking about a 31-year-old who has only once topped 50 innings in the majors. He hasn’t made more than 30 appearances since 2022.

Vargas returns to the organization after he was designated for assignment and elected free agency. The 34-year-old will compete for a spot on the Diamondbacks’ bench to open 2026.

Vargas passed through waivers unclaimed after being jettisoned from Arizona’s 40-man roster and opted to test the open market instead of accepting an outright assignment. The 34-year-old veteran infielder should be able to latch on somewhere else as organizational depth but figures to return to Arizona next spring.

Ildemaro Vargas is slugging .460 on the season and we’re just as confused as you are. The homer is his third in 63 games with the Diamondbacks. The 34-year-old has carved out a career as organizational depth, and it sounds like a pretty nice life.