Harsh Reality of Diamondbacks' Playing Time Won't Make Fans Happy

The oft-heard narrative surrounding Torey Lovullo's management of his Arizona Diamondbacks rosters is that he gives too many days off to players and tends to "coddle" them.

The reality is that much of when a player plays, and how often they need to rest has usually been a group project with a great deal of input from the medical staff.

This has been especially true for players coming off injury, but extends throughout the roster. It's a topic I wrote about in depth just over a year ago. So far in 2026, Lovullo has not shied away from heavy workloads, however.

Lovullo Has Not Backed off Playing his Stars Every Day in 2026

Diamondbacks Player Load with On Pace Games and PA | Jack Sommers

Looking at the chart above, we can see the year-to-date games played and plate appearances for all players on the team. A line is drawn under players that have played the most, or not spent any significant time on the injured list.

Anecdotally, it's felt like Lovullo has taken greater charge in this area, especially when it comes to his everyday players. The numbers in the chart above support that feeling.

Ketel Marte

What immediately jumps out is that Ketel Marte has played 56 of 59 games, and is on pace to post a career-high in games played (154) and plate appearances (675).

This completely confounds the narrative surrounding Marte and Lovullo's handling of him. Lovullo is aware of this workload of course, and hinted that he might pull back a bit.

"He's very engaged and just super hungry to play as much as he possibly can, but I've told him that we get into that 150, mid-150 range that might make me a little uncomfortable," Lovullo said.

"I know that there's going to be some times where I'll have to pull back on him, and those days will come soon."

Geraldo Perdomo

Geraldo Perdomo has played just as many games as Marte and Corbin Carroll. He's been struggling at the plate, and Lovullo told us Monday, June 1 that Perdomo would likely be moved from the third spot in the order.

But after the lineup came out on Tuesday afternoon prior to the D-backs 6:40 p.m. start against the Dodgers, Perdomo wasn't in the lineup at all. Lovullo explained that decision.

"I've been hunting for a day to get Perdomo off his feet," said the manager. "He's been an everyday player. But we're in the middle of some grinding parts of our schedule, where we don't have a lot of time down, and to get him off his feet made a lot of sense for me."

"He's playing a really good shortstop. We know what he means. I know what he means to this team. Everybody in this room knows what he means to this team, but it's just one of those situations where I had to be smart about it, and give him a little bit of a recharge."

Corbin Carroll

Despite battling back from a broken hamate bone early in spring, and various ailments such as groin and back troubles, Corbin Carroll has played in all but three games this year.

Ildemaro Vargas and Nolan Arenado

Apr 29, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) celebrates in the dugout after Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado’s (28) (not pictured) home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

These two players, being 34 and 35 years old respectively, are highlighted in red, as it would seem that is a heavy workload for players in their mid-30's. Vargas has never played this much consistently at the major league level.

Arenado battled injury last year with the Cardinals, and has been playing banged up the last week. He appeared no worse for wear Monday night, however, as he hit a clutch go-ahead homer in the seventh inning.

"Everyone goes through aches and pains throughout the season, so it's nothing new. You've just got to work through it and that's it," Arenado said before Monday's game.

That said, it would probably be good idea to hunt for more regular time off for the veteran and let Jose Fernandez fill in a bit more frequently. It's a long season, and the D-backs will need Arenado to be fresh when they get to the dog days of summer.

Jose Fernandez

For all the consternation often seen on the X platform and other social media outlets every time a lineup comes out without Jose Fernandez's name in it, he's got the sixth-most plate appearances of anyone on the team.

Gabriel Moreno

Moreno missed 19 days on the IL with an oblique strain from April 11 to May 1. Considering that, it's notable that he is on pace for 99 games and 371 plate appearances.

The oft-injured catcher has only exceeded 100 games once in his career, in 2023. He played in 111 with 380 PA that year. If he does not go back on the injured list, look for Moreno to exceed those numbers as Lovullo leans on him more.

Rookie Call-Ups and Returning Injured Players

Arizona Diamondbacks batter Tommy Troy (9) bunts for a single against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 1, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Who plays when will be an intriguing puzzle for the manager to work out going forward. Pavin Smith has already returned from the injured list and will cut into Adrian Del Castillo's playing time at DH.

Ryan Waldschmidt and Tommy Troy have been playing almost every day, but Jordan Lawlar and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. are soon to return from the injured list. How that all shakes out is anybody's guess at this point. It will not be without controversy and second-guessing by fans and pundits alike.

One thing is clear, however. Lovullo has put his foot on the gas pedal with regards to player usage this year, leaning heavily on his top stars to carry the load. And that's a notable departure from the narrative that has been widely built up over the last few years.

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