Diamondbacks Announce Surprise Starting Pitcher Plan vs Phillies

The Arizona Diamondbacks are taking a bit of a different approach to their starting pitching situation for their game three finale against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field.

Ordinarily, rookie right-hander Jose Cabrera would be lined up to make the start. But Arizona will be going with a slightly different look — at least for the first couple of innings.

Diamondbacks announce pitching plans for game vs Phillies

Arizona Diamondbacks Taylor Clarke — Aug 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Taylor Clarke (45) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Right-handed reliever Taylor Clarke will serve as Arizona's starter for Wednesday's game. It will be an opener situation, as Clarke has not pitched more than two innings in an appearance yet this season.

"We feel like that's a good matchup," Lovullo said. "He handles lefties well. We got a couple times around that we need to be very aware of certain hitters at certain points times, and then bridge to our back end guys."

Clarke has been a high-end contributor for Arizona's bullpen all year, pitching to a 2.60 ERA over the course of a heavy 62.1-inning workload.

Following Clarke's outing, the plans become a bit muddier, however Torey Lovullo did say Cabrera could be a bulk option. It would be a surprise to not see Cabrera take over, barring an unprecedented outing from Clarke.

"How we get [to the back end], we have not yet determined, but we're gonna match up the best way we know how," Lovullo said. "If [Cabrera is] needed, yes."

Jose Cabrera could be bulk reliever Wednesday

Aug 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Jose Cabrera (53) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jose Cabrera has shown flashes of success this season, but the 24-year-old right-hander has not quite been able to find a consistent level of excellence in the major leagues.

Cabrera has thrown to a 5.32 ERA over the course of just five starts — mostly abridged — and 22 innings.

Arizona's rotation has been in a state of disarray for some time. They've had to rely on arms like Cabrera, as well as left-handers Kohl Drake and Mitch Bratt to fill numerous starts. Cabrera has not pitched more than five innings in an outing, and his effectiveness has waned as his outings grow long.

Letting him pitch somewhere in the neighborhood of three to four innings against a tough Phillies lineup on Wednesday could put him in a position to succeed.

Wednesday's game may not be a must-win, but it does carry some postseason implications. Arizona is currently fighting for the third and final playoff berth — more closely with the San Diego Padres. At this stage, every win is important.

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