Keeping It Heel
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UNC Baseball: Zac Gallen faces another injury setback

By Nick Delahanty

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 07: Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the first inning at Oracle Park on September 07, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 07: Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the first inning at Oracle Park on September 07, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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The injury bug continues to impact former UNC baseball standout Zac Gallen. How long is he expected to be sidelined?

At the start of the season, former UNC baseball standout Zac Gallen was sidelined due to a hairline fracture in his right forearm. The injury was suffered during batting practice, and forced the Diamondbacks’ new found ace to miss over a month of action.

The former Tar Heel returned to the hill on April 13, as he’s made five starts this season. Unfortunately, it appears as if his next start will once again have to wait.

Gallen was scheduled to take the mound against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night, but was scratched a few hours prior to first pitch. It was later announced that the 25-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a “minor sprain of one section of his UCL.”

Although the team is saying that the early test results are “encouraging,” the right-hander is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks. There is no set timetable at this point for his return, but it’s likely that this injury could keep him out for an extended period of time.

For baseball players, especially pitchers, you never want to hear that a player is dealing with any injury pertaining to the UCL. The Tommy John surgery is a frequent trend throughout the sport, and sidelines pitchers for anywhere from 12-18 months.

The start of the season has been rather disappointing for Gallen, especially because he has been one of the Diamondbacks most reliable pitchers since the team acquired him during the 2019 season. He has been quietly making a case to not only be considered the ace of his organization, but should be classified among the best pitchers throughout the sport.

Once again, the Diamondbacks will have to battle through without one of their most reliable pitchers for at least another couple of weeks. At this point, the franchise should be holding their breath, as they hope that the injury news doesn’t get worse for their standout starting pitcher.

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