Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling have carried the Diamondbacks for the last two years, and with both suffering from health problems this year, the team is in trouble. If San Diego had not also been struck hard by injury, Arizona might be last in the National League West now.

Johnson surprisingly returned from the disabled list to make a start in New York on April 27th, compiling a 12:0 K:BB with 9 H allowed in 6 IP to earn the win. Although the Diamondbacks reported the lefty did not experience excessive swelling in his knee after the start, a few days later Arizona decided he should undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. An MRI revealed several small pieces of loose cartilage in his knee. Arizona hopes that removing the loose material will eliminate the swelling and the fluid build-up he was experiencing. Johnson might have been able to play through the problem with frequent appointments to have his knee drained, but after recently signing him to an extension, the Diamondbacks did not want to risk permanent damage to the knee or another part of his body if he were to inadvertently change his mechanics to avoid knee pain.

On May 1st, Johnson underwent a procedure in which doctors removed cartilage chips from his knee and repaired a small meniscus tear while smoothing the remaining cartilage to prevent further troubles. He's projected to need approximately six weeks to recover. However, descriptions of the surgery indicate that doctors fully corrected all problems, so as long as he doesn't rush his rehab, the knee should not bother him after he returns.

As we expected RHP Schilling was not able to return to the mound after missing only one start following an emergency appendectomy. He hit the disabled list on April 28th, but because Arizona backdated the move to the 18th, he was able to rejoin the team for a start on May 3rd. While Schilling was a little rusty in his first start back, he struck out ten, walked no one, and allowed only four hits in a complete game shutout of Pittsburgh yesterday. The invasive nature of the appendectomy required him to miss a certain amount of time, but there is no reason to expect this incident will affect him ever again.

Regrettably, closer turned starter RHP Byung-Hyun Kim decided to bond with Johnson and Schilling by booking his own trip to the disable list rather than by continuing his bid to join the ranks of the most productive starters in the game. During Kim's April 14th start, OF-R Preston Wilson's bat broke as he led off the sixth inning. A piece of the bat flew into Kim's shin and ankle area, causing him to leave the game at the end of the inning due to swelling in his leg. The swelling dissipated after a few days and he made two solid starts, but he aggravated it on a pick off throw to second in the second inning of his April 29th start. He remained in that game, uncharacteristically allowing two homers among six hits in five innings.

While an MRI revealed no reported structural damage to Kim's ankle and the Diamondbacks felt he should have been able to make his next start, Kim continued to complain of soreness. Consequently, Arizona reluctantly placed him on the disabled list last weekend retroactive to April 30th in order to avoid problems related to Kim trying to pitch around the pain. He's fully expected to rejoin the team within a few days of the 16th when he's first eligible to leave the disabled list, though we've had no updates on his condition since he hit the DL. Hopefully, this extended rest period will allow the joint to heal, otherwise this injury is one that could trouble Kim periodically for the rest of the season.

The Diamondbacks optioned RHP Brandon Webb to the minors after his first major league start, as he pitched the first game of a double header and they needed to make room on the roster for Randy Johnson, coming off the DL to pitch the second game. However, Webb's ten strikeouts in seven shutout innings with only one walk and three hits allowed sufficiently impressed Arizona so that when Johnson returned to the DL on May 2nd, the Diamondbacks recalled Webb. Since rejoining the club, Webb's logged two more solid outings.

When Schilling hit the DL, Arizona activated C-R Rod Barajas from the disabled list to fill his roster spot. UT-R Robby Hammock returned to the minors to make room for Schilling when he rejoined the roster, as while Hammock's performed quite well during his time on the roster there's little playing time available for him at the moment. The good impression he made in April should insure he'll rejoin the team later in the year if a roster spot opens.

Arizona turned to another rookie when placing Kim on the DL, calling up LHP Chris Capuano. The Diamondbacks' drafted Capuano out of Duke University with their 8th round pick in the 1999 draft. He spent 2000 at A South Bend in the Midwest League, 2001 at AA El Paso in the Texas League, and began last year at AAA Tucson in the Pacific Coast League. The 24-year-old has posted a strong strikeout rate throughout the minors while displaying a need for improved control. Unfortunately, he developed an elbow problem that led to Tommy John surgery in May. His performance at AAA this season indicates he's quickly recovering from the surgery. Barring another rotation problem, Capuano will pitch out of the pen during this stint in the majors while Webb, Miguel Batista, and Andrew Good cover for the Diamondbacks' injured starters.

LHP Stephen Randolph followed Kim to the disabled list, going down with a strained oblique. The injury was not deemed severe and had Arizona's pitching staff not been so short of innings the Diamondbacks might not have put him on the DL. However, oblique injuries are easily aggravated, so I estimate Randolph will spend between four and six weeks on the disabled list. Arizona recalled RHP Scott Service to replace Randolph on the roster.

IF-L Craig Counsell dislocated his right thumb while sliding into second base in the sixth inning of the Diamondbacks' May 6th game against Philadelphia. An MRI revealed he'd torn the ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb away from the bone. Consequently, he underwent surgery to anchor the ligament to the bone yesterday. He likely won't resume baseball activities until ten weeks after the surgery at which point he probably will spend a couple weeks on a rehab assignment before rejoining the team sometime in late July.

Arizona called up IF-S Alex Cintron to replace Counsell on the roster. At the time of his promotion, Cintron was hitting .393 with a .435 OBP and .589 SLG on 42 H, 11 2B, 2 3B, and 2 HR with an 8:6 BB:K and 1/1 SB% in 107 AB at AAA Tucson. The 24-year-old is expected to receive considerable playing time at both shortstop and third base where SS-L Tony Womack and 3B-R Matt Williams are struggling. Cintron's improved AAA plate discipline indicates he should experience more success this season than he did during his time in the majors in 2002.