What began as a jaw-dropping catch in the sixth inning should have been the best moment of the game. Instead, it was followed by the sight that no team wants. The Arizona D-Backs not only lost the game 7-5 to Texas, but their $42M slugger was taken off the field after hurting his knee.

With the game tied 3-3 in the sixth inning, Joey Tellez hit a line drive into left-center field. Blaze Alexander, playing center field, made a spectacular catch. While Alexander was celebrating, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. lay in agony behind him. Both converged on the ball, but Gurriel Jr. jumped clumsily to avoid colliding with his teammate, landing poorly and injuring his knee.

In a video posted by Talkin’ Baseball on X, Gurriel Jr. can be seen lying there in pain for minutes, with athletic trainers and teammates all around him, and later, he was carted off. What should have been a routine defensive play turned into a nightmare for the D-Backs.

When Alexander was asked about the play, he said, “I made the play, but I had no idea what happened behind me.” He continued, “I was kind of looking at the crowd and starter running in and I saw (shortstop Gerardo) Perdomo running toward me and I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ I looked back and Gurriel was down. I don’t know how he’s feeling. I just sent him a text as soon as I got back to my locker just kind of praying for him and stuff. … It’s just unfortunate. He’s one of the leaders on our team, a guy we need, so I’m hoping it’s really nothing.”

Since signing a three-year, $42 million deal with Arizona in December 2023, the 31-year-old outfielder has been a key player for the team. He was doing quite well at the plate this season. He had a .249 batting average, 19 home runs, and 80 RBIs this year. Gurriel Jr. was a reliable player for a team that had already lost key players like Corbin Burnes, Justin Martinez, and A.J. Puk due to injuries.

With the playoffs approaching, the D-backs’ manager is unsure of the injury’s severity and hopes to see him back soon. As he mentioned, “There’s no diagnosis right now — he’s set up for imaging tomorrow.”  “Say some prayers for him tonight. It’s a situation where we’re going to hope for the best, but I don’t think it looks great,” Torey Lovullo said.

Gurriel’s injury was the last thing the D-Backs wanted, who had already lost important players for the rest of the season. What started as bad luck has turned into a full-blown crisis that could end their chances of making the playoffs.

Injury blues sink the D-Backs’ playoff push

The Diamondbacks had real hopes of making the playoffs in 2025, but then injuries started to add up. One by one, the arms that were supposed to carry them forward started to dissolve, leaving gaps where confidence used to be.

A.J. Puk, a promising bullpen arm with a 3.38 ERA in eight games, went on the 60-day injured list with a flexor strain in April. Surgery to install an internal brace ended his season.

Closer Justin Martinez, who recently signed an extension, was sidelined in June due to elbow tightness and will undergo Tommy John surgery, ruling him out for the rest of 2025 and much of 2026.

Ace Corbin Burnes, signed to a six-year, $210 million deal, started strong but also required Tommy John surgery due to elbow issues, stripping the D-Backs of their top starter and destabilizing their rotation.

Losing these three key pitchers has severely undermined Arizona’s playoff chances. Without Puk’s late-season relief, Martinez’s closing skills, or Burnes anchoring the rotation—and now with Gurriel Jr.’s injury—the D-Backs face an uphill battle to reach October. Can they still make it?