Diamondbacks right-hander Braden Shipley reported to the mound at the top of an inning and with the opposition’s lead-off man first up.
But he wasn’t appearing as a starter, and he knew it.
“It’s different,” Shipley said. “As pitchers, we’re so routine-oriented that my whole pregame ritual was thrown off a little bit.”
After right-hander Rubby De La Rosa made his return to the rotation Friday against the Giants with a monitored workload – 43 pitches through two innings – Shipley was next in line.
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This was his first relief outing since joining the Diamondbacks July 25 from Triple-A Reno, and Shipley’s expected to have a similar job Wednesday when De La Rosa makes since his second start since being sidelined in late May with elbow issues.