Dbacks recap and news

Burnes (elbow) retired all six batters he faced over two scoreless innings for Triple-A Reno on Saturday.

Burnes needed just 17 pitches (10 strikes) to dispatch the minor-leaguers he faced in his first rehab start. A report prior to Saturday indicated the team would evaluate Burnes after the start for a potential return to the majors. He’s had nowhere near the buildup required to handle the workload of a traditional starter, however.

Bratt (1-3) allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two over 4.1 innings to take the loss in Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader versus the Giants.

Bratt got the nod for the nightcap, but he threw just 52 pitches (32 strikes), falling short of the five-inning mark for his third start in a row. The Diamondbacks have had to patch some holes in their rotation lately, but it’s unclear if Bratt will be part of the pitching plans in the coming week or so before Michael Soroka (shoulder) and Zac Gallen (elbow) would be expected to return. Bratt has a 4.70 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 30:27 K:BB through 44 innings over 10 starts in the majors this season. Considering Bratt was the 27th man for this twin bill, it’s more likely he’s sent back to Triple-A Reno, though he could be called back up when rosters expand at the start of September.

Tawa went 2-for-7 with a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored across both games of Saturday’s doubleheader versus the Giants.

Tawa hit safely in each contest and ends the four-game series against the Giants having gone 4-for-15 with three RBI and four runs scored. The utility man is now batting .247 with a .714 OPS, nine home runs, eight steals, 35 RBI and 30 runs scored over 81 contests this season. Tawa has been better overall in August, batting .288 while filling an everyday role over 28 contests this month.

Nootbaar went 1-for-1 with a grand slam in a 7-1 win over the Giants in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader.

Nootbaar wasn’t in the starting lineup for the matinee, but he delivered the game’s biggest hit off the bench as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. He also went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk in the nightcap, which the Diamondbacks lost 7-2. Nootbaar has hit safely in his last four games, going 6-for-12 with four extra-base hits and six RBI in that span. For the season, he’s batting .233 with a .714 OPS, six homers, 12 doubles, one triple, 27 RBI, 29 runs scored and two stolen bases over 68 contests between Arizona and St. Louis.

Kelly (9-12) allowed two hits and four walks while striking out seven over seven scoreless innings to earn the win over the Giants in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader.

Kelly entered the game winless over his last six starts, giving up 22 runs (21 earned) over 31 innings in that span. There was some concern he had been tipping pitches in his previous outing against the Cubs, but if the Giants were able to steal signs, they weren’t able to do much with that information Saturday. Control remains a concern for Kelly — he’s walked at least three batters in each of his last six games. He’s at a 5.08 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 95:64 K:BB through 141.2 innings over 25 starts this season, making an effort like the one he had Saturday an anomoly. He’s lined up to make his next start at Houston.