Arizona Diamondbacks Notes, Quotes 2008-08-30

--RHP Jon Rauch was unavailable for Friday's game because of stiffness in his right forearm. He had been scored upon in four of his last five outings, giving up six runs in 4 2/3 innings, and manager Bob Melvin suggested it was possible Rauch had been pitching with the injury for some time. "He's a tough guy. He likes to pitch through pain," Melvin said. Rauch was examined by team physician Dr. Michael Lee and given an MRI, but the result was unknown.

--OF Adam Dunn has not played first base since two games in 2006, but he is an option there, manager Bob Melvin said, after the activation of OF Justin Upton. Presumably, that would come against left-handed pitchers, with Upton playing right field and left-handed hitting first baseman Chad Tracy getting a day off.

--The D-backs still like RHP Max Scherzer as a future member of their starting rotation but are likely to use him out of the bullpen the rest of this season after he was recalled Friday, when he threw a scoreless eighth. "That's where he'll start," GM Josh Byrnes said. Starting pitching "is not our distinct area of need. In the long view, he made positive strides as a starter this year, and we're inclined to keep him on that track." Scherzer was 2-2 with a 2.90 ERA with the D-backs and had a 2.72 ERA in 13 games with Class AAA Tucson. "It's a great time to come back, with playoff fever going on," Scherzer said.

--The D-backs claimed LHP Wilfredo Ledezma off waivers from San Diego on Friday, and he was to join the team Saturday. He will give them a lefty in the bullpen that they have lacked since optioning LHP Doug Slaten to the minor leagues Aug. 24. Ledezma was 0-2 with a 4.47 ERA in 25 games with the Padres this season, starting six times. He has 49 strikeouts and 38 walks in 54 1/3 innings. Lefties are hitting .240 against him.

--RHP Micah Owings (shoulder) is throwing at the D-backs' training facility in Tucson, but the D-backs are prevented by major league rules from pitching him since he is the final player they owe Cincinnati in the Adam Dunn deal. A team cannot benefit from players on both sides of a deal. Owings can be sent to Cincinnati on Sept. 29, the first day waivers are not required to complete the deal.

--OF Alex Romero and RHP Leo Rosales were optioned to Class Tucson on Friday when Upton and Scherzer were brought up, but both are expected to return when major league rosters expand to include all members of the 40-man roster Sept. 1.

BY THE NUMBERS: 20 -- Brandon Webb is on track to become the first National League pitcher to win 20 games since Chris Carpenter (Cardinals), Roy Oswalt (Astros) and Dontrelle Willis (Marlins) did so in 2005.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Good riddance to them." -- Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin, after the Marlins beat Arizona for the seventh time in nine games this season. The two teams do not face each other the rest of the way.