Luis

Guillorme

Marte will get a day off, and the same can be said for Christian Walker. Both players were activated off the injured list Friday, so this appears to just be maintenance for both players as they get ready for the home stretch. Josh Bell gets the start at first with Joc Pederson the DH, and Luis Guillorme is starting at second.

Guillorme was just released by the Angels after hitting .231/.302/.298 in 117 plate appearances. The Diamondbacks will use him as a utilityman while Kevin Newman continues to fill in for Ketel Marte at second base. He might lose his spot after Marte returns.

We gather this means Blaze Alexander will return to Triple-A. Guillorme would place him in a utility role while Ketel Marte is on the IL.

Guillorme was designated for assignment earlier in the week and made it through waivers without being claimed. Rather than assigning him to Triple-A Salt Lake, the Halos have simply released the 29-year-old infielder. He’ll attempt to latch on elsewhere as a bench bat and infield depth.

Guillorme was booted off the 40-man roster along with Willie Calhoun to make room for new Angels Niko Kavadas and Jack Lopez. He hit just .231 with no home runs and three RBI in 50 games with Los Angeles this season.

The former top 100 prospect played in 68 games for the Angels this season but simply wasn’t able to produce even, hitting .245/.315/.380 with five home runs and 20 RBI. He did demonstrate strong contact ability and good plate discipline, but time is running out for the 29-year-old to play himself into a regular role at the big league level. He had started the last three games at designated hitter, so his departure could open up more playing time for Luis Guillorme or designated hitter opportunities for Logan O’Hoppe or perhaps even a shot for newly acquired designated hitter Niko Kavadas who came over from the Red Sox at the trade deadline.

Guillorme sat out Los Angeles’ first-half finale last weekend due to back tightness. It doesn’t sound like a major concern moving forward.

It’s probably safe to call him day-to-day for now. Brandon Drury will make the start at third base instead.

Rendon will get a rest in the final game before the break. Willie Calhoun will serve as the designated hitter and Luis Guillorme will be at the hot corner.

Drury has managed to somehow avoid a trip to the injured list, but he remains out of Los Angeles’ lineup for the fifth consecutive contest due to an ongoing battle with a respiratory virus. It’ll be defensive ace Luis Guillorme filling in at the keystone in his ongoing absence.