Catcher Chris Herrmann wasn’t in the Diamondbacks’ lineup on Monday afternoon. His exclusion was not an easy call for manager Chip Hale.
Herrmann reached base three times on Sunday, continuing a hot streak that’s been going for the better part of five weeks. He drew a pair of walks against Padres lefty Drew Pomeranz before lining a triple to deep center field off reliever Carlos Villanueva.
Herrmann’s production has begun to compare favorably to everyday catcher Welington Castillo. Since beginning the season just 1 for 20, Herrmann has hit .397/.463/.793 in his past 68 plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Castillo has been slumping.