The Arizona Diamondbacks have made a key decision on Torey Lovullo, retaining the manager on a two-year contract extension. They are re-signing him before a potential lockout, which will help to eliminate uncertainties for the team in the near future.
Lovullo helped lead Arizona to an 86-76 record this season and while they missed out on a final NL wild-card spot it was only by two games. The team battled and won six straight before losing the final two games of the season and getting eliminated from postseason contention.
Michael Soroka’s dominant outing on Sept. 22 helped keep the team’s slim postseason hopes alive during the winning streak. But his final game of the season was subpar, following his resurgence with the team this season. He allowed three earned runs, including a home run to Gavin Sheets, that led to a 9-4 loss against the San Diego Padres on Sept. 27.
But Lovullo also dealt with significant roster challenges, including injuries to key players and underperformance from Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen.