Arizona returned Erubiel Durazo to the disabled list with a new injury on Monday. After missing the first month and a half of the season following surgery to remove a broken hamate bone from his right hand, Durazo has now strained his right oblique muscle.

The Diamondbacks aren't certain when Durazo will be able to return. He will treat the injury with a cortisone shot, anti-inflammatory pills and rest. However, he does reportedly intend to stay in shape riding a stationary bike. Had he not further aggravated the side by pinch-hitting in Cleveland on Saturday after feeling soreness before the game, the injury might not have warranted a trip to the DL.

In four seasons in the majors, Durazo has trekked to the disabled list six times. I estimate he's spent a combined 145+ days on the disabled list. In 2000, he underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right wrist in June. He went on the DL three separate times with continued wrist problems and finally had to have a second surgery that ended his season in August. Last season his only DL trip came from a strained back in August, but he also missed time with a concussion in June and July.

Arizona is afraid to use him in the outfield, as he strained his elbow fielding third base and right field in Spring Training. He's also suffered some lingering problems due to this year's surgery. He scorched the league in his first week back from the DL, but then cooled off and had to sit several days due to soreness in his wrist. The quality of his performance after that was sporadic at best, and he was in the midst of a 1-14 slump when he developed his most recent injury. He's hitting .239 this season with a .364 OBP and .533 SLG in 92 AB on 22 H, 3 2B, and 8 HR with a 17:29 BB:K and 0/1 SB%.

Durazo possesses considerable potential, but he'll have difficulty fulfilling that potential if he can't remain healthy more frequently. The wrist injuries are particularly troubling as those cut down on his power, which is his main asset outside of his strike zone judgment. His exceptional plate discipline carried him quickly through the minors but is beginning to erode as he struggles to demonstrate that he deserves a full time position in the lineup. The Diamondbacks should make room for him when he's healthy, however they're hesitant to rely on someone with his injury history.

Alex Cintron replaces Durazo on the roster. Cintron's tramped from AAA to the majors three times this season. Prior to this recall, the Diamondbacks called him up when they demoted Bret Prinz, but demoted him when they activated Junior Spivey from the disabled list.

Cintron hasn't received much playing time, though in his 44 AB, he has 12 H and 6 2B with a 5:5 BB:K for a .273 BA, .347 OBP, and .409 SLG. Given the current assortment of healthy, active D-backs, he'll likely receive even fewer at-bats during this call-up, serving mostly as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement.

Prinz replaced a demoted Jose Parra on the roster in late May. Prinz broke camp with the Diamondbacks but was demoted after a poor April. This stint in the majors went much better than the last, however one bad outing sent him packing in favor of offense. Arizona started jumping him around last season, pulling him quickly through AAA and to the majors after a successful 2000 at AA. Prinz shouldn't challenge Kim and Mantei for saves any time soon, but he should still be a good reliever. However, he needs time in AAA to work against high-level competition and gain confidence.

Parra went heavy on the walks and short on the strikeouts during his call-up. As a result, even though he kept his H/9 at a good level and didn't allow any homers, the Diamondbacks rightly weren't eager to keep him rostered.

Spivey went on the DL with a strained hamstring in mid-June. Fortunately, the injury was not severe and he returned to the team last Friday. Spivey's impressed many this season and deserves his All-Star berth. He demonstrated inconsistent plate discipline in the minors and has improved his major league strike zone judgment this season, complimenting budding speed and power skills. In 248 AB, he's hitting .331 with a .423 OBP and .569 SLG on 82 H, 20 2B, 6 3B, 9 HR, with a 33:41 BB:K and 8/10 SB%. The hamstring problem might slow him down a bit as he won't want to aggravate the injury, but his power and average are rooted in solid skills and should continue.

Duaner Sanchez replaced Spivey on the roster but returned to the minors when Arizona activated Matt Mantei from the disabled list. The 22-year-old has worked primarily as a starter in the minors, though he pitched in relief during his major league debut. A nondrafted free agent signed out of the Dominican Republic, Sanchez split last season between AA El Paso in the Texas League and A+ Lancaster in the California League. He hasn't demonstrated overwhelming dominance but has displayed solid skills. Sanchez returned to AA this season, where he posted a 16:9 K:BB in 21.1 IP split between starting and relief with 33 H and 3 HR allowed before his promotion.

I think he could still work out as a starter, however a move to relief should increase his dominance. Regardless, he still needs more time in the minors before he'll be ready to contribute to a big league pen.

Matt Mantei's a little over a year removed from Tommy John surgery. He had a few set backs during rehab but remains on pace for the typical return time of a reliever. Mantei isn't expected to steal Byung-Hyun Kim's closing job and will work set-up. Even in his best season Mantei wasn't a particularly dominant closer, and Kim has proven himself in Arizona despite occasional disastrous outings.

Due to the whims of Manager Bob Brenly, I'm a little concerned about next season's closing position. Mantei should be back at full strength and will be making $6.75M with a $7M player option for 2004. I suspect that if he isn't closing, Mantei won't hesitate to activate that option and its guaranteed money. Inconsistency, no matter what the skill level, can frequently trick managers when they're deciding between a high skills player with bad days and an average guy. Consequently, Brenly may choose Mantei as his closer and Kim as his high-powered, multi-inning, setup man.

Arizona continues to juggle the middle relievers in the pen. I watched Mike Morgan take a line drive off his left kneecap in a May 25th game against LA and was certain he'd be on the DL the next day. However, he stayed in the game and off the DL for a month. Unfortunately, the knee became a problem for him during that time and the Diamondbacks put him on the DL a week ago today. He'll likely need to rest the knee and then spend a short time on a rehab assignment. Todd Stottlemyre replaced Morgan on the roster.

Finally in early June, the Diamondbacks demoted Eddie Oropesa and promoted Mike Koplove. Oropesa allowed an excess of baserunners during his 21.2 IP. Koplove, a 25-year-old right-handed reliever, split last season between AA and AAA with a brief major league cup of coffee. In 30.2 IP at AAA Tucson in the Pacific Coast League, Koplove had a 31:4 K:BB with 21 H and 1 HR allowed. He's carried a good deal of that success to the majors with an 8:2 K:BB and 7 H in 12 IP. Koplove's owned his skills throughout his minor league climb, so he should continue to pitch well for the Diamondbacks and provide some stability in their pen.