Zac Gallen Will Start On Tuesday Against Oakland
Zac Gallen (forearm) will make his first start of the year on Tuesday afternoon against the Oakland Athletics, according to Zach Buchanan of The Athletic. Gallen has been on the injured list to open the year with a hairline stress fracture at the end of a bone in his forearm. Before being shut down at the end of Spring Training, Gallen had looked good with a 2.13 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings of work. He will face off against an Oakland offense that started off the year slumping, but has heated up in their last two games where they outscored the Astros 13-5. Oakland has a 25.5 percent strikeout rate and is slashing .189/.278/.307 as a team this year, and despite Gallen's early injury and the Athletic's recent warming up, this should be a very good matchup for Gallen in his return.
Source: Zach Buchanan
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Source: Zach Buchanan
Zac Gallen Strikes Out Eight In Win On Thursday
Zac Gallen turned in an excellent start in a 4-2 win over the New York Mets on Thursday. Gallen allowed one run on two hits over six innings of work while striking out eight and walking three. His only mistake in the contest was a solo homer to Juan Soto in the sixth inning. Gallen has been off to a rough start in 2025, posting a 2-4 record, 4.93 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 43 strikeouts over 38 1/3 innings of work. That being said, he has a strong track record over his career, so fantasy managers will want to stay patient with him. Hopefully his taming of a tough Mets lineup on Thursday is the first step in the right direction for Gallen.
Source: MLB.com
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Source: MLB.com
Zac Gallen Strikes Out 13
Zac Gallen looked untouchable on Wednesday, striking out 13 batters over 6 ⅔ shutout innings in a 4-3 win against the Yankees. The Yankees and their torpedo bats have gained a lot of attention over the recent days, but the bats don't matter if they don't make contact. Gallen collected 24 whiffs on the night for a whiff rate of 57%. His knuckle curveball was the most effective of his pitches, collecting 13 whiffs all on its own. He'll look to carry this momentum into his next start, currently lined up to be against the Orioles.
Source: MLB.com
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Source: MLB.com
Zac Gallen Solid On Thursday Against The Athletics
Zac Gallen had a respectable outing in Thursday's spring training matchup against the Athletics. He threw 4 ⅓ innings, allowing five hits, two walks, two strikeouts, and one earned run. It was nothing flashy, but it was a good outing he can build off of, as Opening Day is less than a week away. Gallen has already been named the team's Opening Day starter for next Thursday, March 27, against the Chicago Cubs. Last season, Gallen saw a bit of a dip in production as his 3.47 ERA in 2023 rose to 3.65 in 2025. Gallen's strikeout rate also fell to a career-low 25.1%. Nonetheless, Gallen is a proven starter in the MLB. He should provide fantasy managers with a productive season, even with the D-backs bringing on Corbin Burnes during the off-season.
Source: ESPN
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Source: ESPN
Zac Gallen To Start On Opening Day For Diamondbacks
Zac Gallen will be the team's Opening Day starter next Thursday, March 27, against the Chicago Cubs, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. It's a bit of a surprise that the D-backs didn't go with offseason acquisition Corbin Burnes, but instead they'll roll with the 29-year-old Gallen for the third straight year on Opening Day. Gallen has a little pressure off of him at the top of Arizona's rotation now that Burnes is in tow. He's not a fantasy ace by any means, but he makes for a solid No. 3 fantasy starter and should be rolled out there in his first start of the year against the Cubs. Gallen's strikeout rate fell to a career-low 25.1%, but he's notorious for being one of the best strike-throwers in the game. It seems unlikely that Gallen will ever be a fantasy ace again like he was in 2022, but you could do a lot worse as your SP2 or SP3.
Source: MLB.com - Steve Gilbert
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Source: MLB.com - Steve Gilbert
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