D-Backs to designate Godley for assignment

Right-hander Zack Godley was informed by the Diamondbacks after Sunday's game that he is being designated for assignment.

Since Godley is out of options, the Diamondbacks have 10 days to release him, facilitate a trade or place Godley on waivers.

After Sunday's 7-5 win, Godley was circling the Diamondbacks clubhouse, embracing his teammates and exchanging well-wishes.

Godley, 29, is 3-5 with a 6.39 ERA and most recently pitched on Saturday, tossing 22⁄3 innings and allowing three runs against the Washington Nationals.

Upon joining the rotation in 2017, Godley found immediate success in the form of a 3.37 ERA in 155 innings. However, the past two seasons have not followed that pattern.

Godley posted a 4.74 ERA in 1781⁄3 innings in 2018 and was removed from the rotation in late June of this season. Since then, Godley has been deployed in various roles from de-facto opener to a long reliever.

Godley was a 10th round pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2013 and came to the Diamondbacks in a 2014 trade that sent catcher Miguel Montero to the Cubs.

Marte avoids injury

The fans at Chase Field usually get a little louder when Ketel Marte steps up to the plate, but Sunday, a hush came over the crowd during the 2019 AllStar’s at-bat in the bottom of the seventh. A pitch from the Washington Nationals’ Wander Suero had ricocheted off Marte’s foot, causing the batter to double over in pain.

The crowd waited in nervous anticipation as a trainer and manager Torey Lovullo came out to check on Marte. A minute later, cheers erupted as Marte straightened up, put his helmet back on and reached out for his bat.

He had to limp back to the plate, but the hurt foot didn’t shake Marte. He put the ball in play for a single and eventually made it home on Adam Jones’ goahead hit later that inning.

“He switched gears quickly,” Lovullo said. “Those things are tough to overcome, but Ketel’s a very tough player and I’m glad he’s okay.”

Marte said he was still feeling the pitch after the game, but that it was bearable.

“I was in some pain after it went off my foot, but then it got better,” Marte said through translator Martin Bater. “I mean, it hurts a little bit now, but it’s nothing major.”

Lovullo on ‘Baby Shark’ pitching

In the top of Saturday’s fourth inning, former Diamondbacks and current Nationals outfielder Gerardo Parra sent a two-run triple deep to right center. Nationals fans in the crowd stood up and clapped their arms together in homage to Parra’s “Baby Shark” walkup song.

Later in the game, the visiting fans at Chase Field would see Parra in a very different capacity when he took the mound at the bottom of the eighth. Parra was one of two position players slid into the rotation during the 18-7 blowout. Second baseman Brian Dozier also got a turn.

“I’m not a fan of it whatsoever … I understand the necessity, but I always am very cautious about who I put out there, because I don’t want to risk that injury,” Lovullo said before Sunday’s game. “It looked like Parra yesterday was really grinding and he was laboring.”