The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres came out of the MLB All-Star break red-hot to not only push themselves atop the National League Wild Card race but challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the NL West standings.

Over 25 games to begin the second half of the schedule, they held the league’s two best records during that span and found themselves deadlocked by overall record at 69-53 to own the top two Wild Card slots.

Arizona notably went 20-5 through its first eight series of the post-All-Star break schedule, leading MLB in batting average and slugging.

Down the stretch of the season, four teams separated from the pack to contend for three Wild Card spots, including the Padres and Diamondbacks.

Here’s a look at the divisional race as the D-backs and Padres chase the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Diamondbacks standings in the NL West

Here’s a look at the NL Wild Card race as the D-backs and Padres attempt to cling to playoff positioning while the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets give chase.

Where are the Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card standings?

* The Mets (and Braves) own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the D-backs. There is no longer a Game 163 to break ties in the standings.

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The Arizona Cardinals began with a relatively clean injury report ahead of their Week 3 game against the Detroit Lions, but offensive starters Greg Dortch and Kelvin Beachum are questionable for the game.

Beachum, who is already filling in for starter Jonah Williams, is dealing with a hamstring issue and was downgraded from limited to out on Friday. Last week, Arizona elevated practice squad member Jackson Barton to add depth at right tackle behind Beachum, putting Barton as a name to watch if Beachum is not able to go Sunday.

Dortch appeared on the Friday injury report with a hamstring injury as well but was limited in practice.

Defensive lineman Dante Stills was also limited and is questionable.

Arizona got rookie pass rusher Xavier Thomas back after he missed Thursday’s practice for personal reasons.

Detroit, on the other hand, has a number of starters hoping to get healthy as the weekend hits.

The defense is a bit banged up, with backup cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (hamstring) and backup safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) set to miss the game.

Starting linebacker Alex Anzalone (concussion) is questionable.

Fellow starters in cornerback Terrion Arnold (illness) and offensive guard Graham Glasgow (knee) are questionable, as is backup receiver Isaiah Williams (abdomen).

Arizona Cardinals injury report vs. Lions – Week 3

Here is the Detroit Lions’ injury report:

Detroit Lions injury report

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First-round series are best-of-three, and Minnesota will host the first two games against Phoenix. The Mercury would host Game 3 if necessary.

Phoenix is the No. 7 seed after finishing the regular season with a 19-21 record. The Mercury dropped their finale to the Seattle Storm 89-70 on Thursday, a game that doubled as a celebration for legend Diana Taurasi in what may have been her final regular season contest — she has yet to say definitively if she will retire.

The No. 2 seed, Minnesota went 30-10 this season led by All-Star and Olympian Napheesa Collier. The Lynx went 3-1 this season against Phoenix.

When are the Mercury’s playoff games?

The WNBA released its playoff schedule.

Game 1 between the Mercury and Lynx is set for 2 p.m. Sunday on ESPN.

Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Game 3 would be Friday, Sept. 27, at a time to be determined on ESPN2.

We have 2024 WNBA playoff games, times and TV designations for the first round pic.twitter.com/lBHYLgx5sM

— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) September 20, 2024

What are the WNBA playoff matchups?

The No. 8 Atlanta Dream face the top-seeded New York Liberty. The No. 3 Connecticut Sun will welcome the No. 6 seed Indiana Fever and sensational rookie Caitlin Clark.

The final opening round matchup is the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces, the No. 4 seed, hosting the fifth-seeded Seattle Storm.

Las Vegas is trying to become the first team to win three titles in a row since Houston won four straight in the first four seasons of the WNBA — from 1997 to 2000.

The final playoff spot came down to the last day of the regular season. Atlanta needed a victory to clinch a spot and the Dream did just that by beating New York 78-67. The Liberty had already clinched the top seed.

All seeds and playoff spots are locked 🔒

Take a look at the official bracket for the 2024 #WNBAPlayoffs presented by @Google ⬇️

First Round begins Sunday September 22nd at 1pm/ET on ESPN#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/QWsC3NF7qj

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 20, 2024

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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With just over three minutes left in a 89-70 loss against the Seattle Storm to end the regular season, Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts checked Taurasi back in for a standing ovation.

If this is it –

a full standing ovation for the GOAT. pic.twitter.com/MRv0ovPrrj

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) September 20, 2024

Taurasi came out of the game shortly after, hugging her parents courtside before greeting her teammates on the bench.

Taurasi, who has played 20 seasons in the WNBA, all with the Mercury, had not said explicitly going into Thursday that she was retiring, but the club has promoted heavily the theme “If this is it.” She used those same words in a postgame speech to the crowd.

“If it is the last time, it felt like the first time.”

The Mercury have a playoff series against Minnesota Lynx starting Sunday, but there is no guarantee Phoenix will host another home game.

With the uncertainty for her future, Thursday was a celebration of Taurasi’s tenure in Phoenix.

Taurasi is 42 and has accomplished everything one could strive for on the basketball court with three WNBA championships, a league MVP, six Olympic gold medals and the all-time scoring record.

She played 18 minutes on Thursday, scoring nine points on a trio of 3-pointers.

The fans chanted “One more year” as the final buzzer rang and during her address.

Diana Taurasi checks back in and the crowd is lovin’ every second of it 🥹

SEA-PHX | League Pass 📱 pic.twitter.com/MIaFPkvB0g

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 20, 2024

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The Suns dealt the rights to forward Justin Smith.

Johnson is a 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard who has spent the past four seasons with Austin in the G League. He has yet to make his NBA debut.

His younger brother, Keldon Johnson, has spent the past five seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Last season, Kaleb Johnson played 39 games between regular season and showcase appearances, averaging 8.1 points per game on 62.5% shooting, albeit he did not make a 3-pointer. The southpaw shooter shot 53.7% from the free-throw line.

The 27-year-old also added 0.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game.

Johnson played his college ball at Georgetown, spending four seasons with the Hoyas before going undrafted.

The Suns took Smith in the 2024-25 G-League Expansion Draft from the Delaware Blue Coats.

Who are the Valley Suns?

The Phoenix Suns introduced their G-League affiliate in May, and the team will play its home games at Arizona State’s Mullett Arena. Their home opener is on Nov. 11 against the Stockton Kings.

The G League schedule is sectioned into two parts: The 16-game Tip-Off Tournament and a 34-game regular season.

The Valley Suns hired John Little, a former assistant coach for Boston’s G League affiliate, as head coach. Among their expansion draftees were former top-10 NBA Draft picks Jahlil Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay.

Having a player’s rights does necessarily mean he is going to play for the Suns’ G League team, as they could consider pro leagues in other countries.

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The 42-year-old is on an expiring contract. There’s the possibility her team might not play again in Footprint Center this season, with two road games to begin the playoffs at the Minnesota Lynx. And then there’s the indecision about her playing future.

Altogether, it brings a possibility that the Mercury’s regular-season finale against the Seattle Storm is the last home game ever for the all-time WNBA leading scorer.

The Mercury rolled out a tribute video with the asterisk of a theme: “If this is it …”

Penny Taylor, Taurasi’s wife, begins the video reading Taurasi a letter.

Dear Dee –

Love,
All of Us pic.twitter.com/SnO1q10Fdp

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) September 19, 2024

The video also features current teammate Brittney Griner, Taurasi’s agent and her sister.

“If this is it — thank you for letting us share in the joy,” part of the letter reads. “For the banners and MVPs, for 10K (points), for getting to see you on that medal stand six times. For letting us call you ‘GOAT’ even though you hated it. And for the technicals where you really got your money’s worth.”

Phoenix will hand out t-shirts with the letter to all fans who attend the regular season finale on Thursday.

pic.twitter.com/rRkLsiWAfE

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) September 19, 2024

Taurasi said Tuesday that she had not made a decision about whether she would continue playing after this season.

“I don’t know,” Taurasi told reporters in Los Angeles. “The last couple of weeks have been a little nerve-racking for myself. I don’t want to make any emotional, rash decisions. I know the end is near. When that is, I don’t know.

“I’ve always been a person that just concentrates on what’s next. And that’s practice tomorrow and then [versus] Seattle on Thursday. I guess when the season’s over, I’ll reflect and I’ll get advice from the people that are closest to my heart.”

Diana Taurasi GOAT jerseys for sale Thursday

The Mercury are putting a special edition GOAT jersey for sale at the team shop on Thursday night. The jerseys include a silhouette of a goat standing out of the No. 3 on the jersey.

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Brown is listed as the Sun Devils’ third-string running back on the latest depth chart with an “OR” alongside him, senior DeCarlos Brooks and junior Alton McCaskill. Thamel reports Brooks “should return” after he did not play against Texas State.

Through three games, 68 of the 103 carries among the running backs have gone to Cam Skattebo. Brooks has the second-most with 14.

Brown has two of those carries for one yard this season, making his ASU debut in the Texas State matchup after missing the first two games. The sophomore transfer from USC had 42 carries for 227 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2022.

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Keim will take on the role of “general manager” to “help run the agency the way he once helped run a football team, with some of the same responsibilities.”

“Steve gives us a tremendous amount of depth through the lens of knowledge, experience and expertise,”’ said Klutch CEO Rich Paul. “This is a game changer for us and I imagine the industry. His entire life has been loving the game of football, and we couldn’t be happier to have him join us.”

Keim has largely spent time away from football since exiting the organization in 2022, occasionally joining a podcast or NFL-related program to provide insight as an analyst.

Midway through the Cardinals’ 4-13 run that year, Keim stepped away halfway through the year to focus on his health before the team parted ways with him at the end of the season. Keim later revealed part of that was time in rehab due to sleep and anxiety drugs.

Arizona hired Keim as GM in January 2013 after he originally joined the organization in 1999 as a collegiate scout. Keim oversaw a successful Bruce Arians era followed by far less success for one-and-done head coach Steve Wilks and four years under Kliff Kingsbury. With Kingsbury, however, the Cardinals improved year-to-year in win total from three to five to eight and 11.

Even though the 11-win year ended with large warning signs because of the way it crashed and burned, Keim was given an extension off all that improvement before the 2022 season that ran through 2027.

Klutch Sports Group was founded in 2012 by Rich Paul, the business partner and agent for LeBron James. It has proven to become incredibly successful, now home to star athletes well beyond James such as Jalen Hurts, A’ja Wilson, Myles Garrett, Trae Young, JuJu Watkins and Tyrese Maxey.

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ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky is very high on Kyler Murray after the Arizona Cardinals quarterback’s Week 2 performance against the Los Angeles Rams.

“It’s probably the best I’ve ever seen Kyler play,” Orlovsky said on Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Tuesday. “If you just look at the totality of the game, you get that for the majority of season, you’re looking at a guy that’s gonna be firmly in the MVP conversation.”

In the Cardinals’ 41-10 victory, Murray completed 17 of 21 pass attempts (81.0%) for 266 yards, three touchdowns and had a perfect 158.3 passer rating.

Murray also ran for 59 yards on five carries.

Why is ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky so high on Kyler Murray this year?

Orlovsky admitted that he was critical of Murray’s ability to get through progressions in the past, but he believes Murray has looked a lot more comfortable making reads this year.

“I didn’t see that consistently really over the past couple of seasons,” the ESPN analyst said. “So getting through progressions in an efficient way and a timely way and just sometimes you got to make a boring choice, and I thought he did that at a good pace. I thought that he made the appropriate throw and the type of throw on a consistent basis.”

Murray completed all five of his passes of at least 20 air yards for 156 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday. According to Next Gen Stats, that perfect completion rate had a probability of just 0.3%.

And while Murray dished the ball to seven different teammates in Sunday’s win, the quarterback went to rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. more often than anyone else. The rookie caught four passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

“Yeah, I think the big thing is walking the fine line of not lining him up in the same spot all the time,” Orlovsky said about Harrison. “So making sure that you’re moving him around but also not overwhelming him with information that’s going to slow him down.”

Orlovsky also thought Murray has been a lot better in play-action after being critical of Murray in play-action situations in the past.

“Again, something that I’ve been critical about him not doing a good enough job in is operating the play-action game in a manner of full-field progressions,” Orlovsky said. “I thought that was really good and then obviously he made three or four plays that, you know, really only four people on the planet are probably making, him being one of them.”

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The UtahHC+ app (Utah Hockey Club) and SEG+ app (Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club) will allow fans to stream games of the pro franchises, the Smith Entertainment Group announced on Thursday.

UtahHC+ is available in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Montana and parts of Nevada.

Good catch here, Utah Jazz+ territory and UHC+ territory are different. Arizona fans will still be able to watch the UHC.#UtahHockeyClub #UtahJazz pic.twitter.com/1pXpKUGNAf

— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) September 19, 2024

The team also on Thursday announced that former Arizona Coyotes broadcaster Tyson Nash will join the Utah club as a UtahHC+ personality and analyst.

Nash spent 14 seasons as a broadcaster for the Coyotes and will join the app to host alt-casts. He will appear as a guest on pre- and post-game shows during live broadcasts as well.

Former Coyotes play-by-play man Matt McConnell was already set to serve as TV play-by-play voice.

Former Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo was forced to sell the hockey team to the Utah group after the team failed to find land for a new home arena. The agreement shipped the hockey operations department and roster to the Utah group, where it will share an arena with the Jazz.

How can Arizona Coyotes fans watch the Utah Hockey Club?

Cost for only the Utah Hockey Club app is $69.99 annually or $14.99 monthly. It is $5 for a single game.

Utah Hockey Schedule

Fans can watch the Utah Hockey Club’s first game on Oct. 8 against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Click here for the full schedule.

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The general ticket allotment will be made available on Friday at 9 a.m.

Tickets for National League Wild Card (NLWC), National League Division Series (NLDS) and National League Championship Series (NLCS) games at Chase Field will all be available for purchase.

How do I buy Diamondbacks postseason tickets?

Fans can visit dbacks.com/postseason, the Chase Field box office or call 602-462-4600.

Will the Diamondbacks be in the playoffs?

With 10 games remaining, the Diamondbacks have yet to clinch a playoff berth but are in the thick of the National League Wild Card race.

The Diamondbacks sit in the third and final wild card spot and are two games up on the Atlanta Braves through Wednesday.

The D-backs will head to Milwaukee for a four-game set against the Brewers. They then have the final six at home with a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants from Sept. 23-25 and another three-game set versus the San Diego Padres on Sept. 27-29.

When does the MLB postseason begin?

The 2024 MLB postseason will start on Oct. 1, beginning with the wild card matchups. The Division Series will start on Oct. 5.

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Arizona State defensive back Cole Martin is done for the remainder of the 2024 season with a hip injury, head coach Kenny Dillingham announced on Wednesday.

The Oregon transfer had been ASU’s backup nickel to Shamari Simmons, and he made four tackles with one pass breakup over the first two games of the season.

“He’s gonna get surgery on a few items that have just been lingering since he got here, it was before he got here,” Dillingham said. “He’s been trying to push through it, he’s a really tough kid. It had just come to a point where we got to get him right.”

Martin, a Basha High School alum who previously attended Hamilton, played all 14 games for the Ducks last season as a true freshman. He racked up 21 tackles, an interception and two passes defensed. The sophomore was a consensus four-star recruit out of Basha and a boost to ASU’s secondary coming in.

Dillingham said freshman Kyan McDonald will be the backup nickel in Martin’s stead — Macen Williams, who entered the year contending for snaps at nickel, retired before Week 1.

“Super smart, super savvy, just where he’s supposed to be,” Dillingham said of McDonald. “He picked the ball off yesterday, last week he had a pick in 7-on-7, just a guy who is around the ball a lot.”

McDonald was a three-star prospect out of O’Dea High School in Seattle.

Simmons has been one of the brightest spots on the defense this season with 18 tackles — three for a loss — and a forced fumble through three games.

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Kamara scored four touchdowns, an NFL-high so far this season.

Three came on the ground with another receiving touchdown as Kamara totaled 180 scrimmage yards: 115 rushing plus 65 receiving.

Kamara got a steady diet of 20 runs, with none going longer than 15 yards. But 57 of his receiving yards came on a delayed dump-off that went for a touchdown as New Orleans beat the Dallas Cowboys, 44-19.

Kamara won the award over Murray, who posted a perfect passer rating (158.3) and threw for three touchdowns in Arizona’s 41-10 win against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Cardinals quarterback completed 17 of 21 passes for 266 yards while rushing for another 59 on five carries.

Murray’s game ball and jersey were shipped to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after he became the second Cardinals quarterback to finish a game with a perfect passer rating.

Murray also was the second NFL player to finish with a perfect passing rating while recording 250 or more passing yards and at least 50 rushing yards (Ken Anderson, 1974).

Kamara and the Saints lead the NFL with 91 points this season, the most points for the first two weeks in the past 15 years.

Arizona has scored 75 in two games.

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Arizona has been able to stack runs in order to cover up flaws in either the starting rotation or bullpen all year but that offense has surprisingly faded in, of all places, Colorado.

While the D-backs bullpen did drop a 2-1 lead on Monday, it was still a lackluster day for the bats. Tuesday was the same.

After Arizona failed to produce at-bats with runners in scoring position on Monday thanks to some double plays, it had eight in just four innings on Tuesday but only came through with one hit. That was an infield single in the second inning that did not score a run.

The D-backs didn’t get anything going again until the seventh inning. Two runners were on with two outs for pinch hitter Ketel Marte at a 5-1 deficit but Marte flew out.

One Rockies run later, Christian Walker hit a solo home run for Arizona’s second and final run of the night.

With Ryne Nelson on the injured list, Jordan Montgomery got his first start since getting demoted to the bullpen on Aug. 23 and did a serviceable enough job. He gave up three earned runs on six hits and two walks through 4.2 innings, getting picked up reliever Scott McGough after he exited with runners on second and third and two outs.

One of Montgomery’s runs should have been unearned after a high popup to short right field in the second inning was missed by the D-backs on what was scored a double. Walker lost the ball in the sky and neither second baseman Luis Guillorme or right fielder Corbin Carroll were in proper positions to catch it once Walker made it clear he didn’t see where it was. Two more Rockies doubles followed in the inning.

The goofs continued in the sixth inning when with one out and runners on first and second, a stolen base attempt at third base was countered by a good enough throw but third baseman Eugenio Suarez was unable to field the ball properly for a tag. A fly ball on the ensuing at-bat would score a run on a sac fly.

For the second straight night, the loss didn’t do any damage in the standings thanks to an Atlanta Braves loss. Arizona remains two games ahead of the Braves for a Wild Card spot.

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Dan Campbell’s squad that has Super Bowl hopes now has to get on the road for the first time this year and face an Arizona Cardinals team that had perhaps the most impressive performance of Week 2.

Campbell spoke Monday on his initial impressions of the Cardinals.

“The nature of the way they play, I would say schematically on both sides of the ball, it’s tricky,” he said. “They run some things that are, not unorthodox, it’s just they give you a lot. And they’re very active up front. Offensively, they give you a lot of different personnel groups. They play hard, they’re physical.”

Campbell went on to run through the main pieces on the Arizona offense.

“Obviously, the quarterback, when he gets out and runs around, he’s dangerous,” Campbell said. “He’s always been that way. They’ve got some weapons to throw to. This back room is heavy.”

The nod to Kyler Murray could not have been better timed after his off-schedule mastery versus the Rams in Sunday’s 41-10 thrashing was a true difference-maker. Arizona also got the running game going in a major way via 21 carries and 122 yards for James Conner. The “heavy” nod goes to not only a 233-pound Conner but 223-pound rookie Trey Benson too, two physical runners with different skill sets to worry about.

Campbell knows that “tricky” maneuvering goes beyond the 12 and 13 personnel the Cardinals offense runs, noting how defensive coordinator Nick Rallis mixes it up plenty as well.

“Defensively, they can give you multiple looks up front and coverages as well so you gotta be on it,” he said. “Now the good news is we just played a team that gives you a lot of differnet looks defensively and so that’s actually good. We oughta be primed and prepped a little bit to be able to adjust on the fly.

“It’s a good football team. They’re playing at a high level.”

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Thomas was sent down to Reno on Aug. 13, and a week later, he was placed on the injured list. He had five hits at the plate in his three games for the Aces before getting injured.

The D-backs originally optioned Thomas after his bat struggled to pick up a rhythm across a month-long period in his return from a hamstring injury that had multiple setbacks. In 37 games, Thomas was batting .191.

The decision was made partially because of the emergence of outfielder Jake McCarthy, who became one of Arizona’s best hitters over the course of the season. With McCarthy, Corbin Carroll, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Randal Grichuk, Arizona had enough outfield depth.

As far as Thomas’ chances of getting called back up for the postseason, those odds have hit a snag thanks to the recent play of Pavin Smith. With Gurriel also on the injured list, Smith has starred in his place, now posting a .913 OPS on the season. Thomas could still, however, provide value with his defense, particularly in late game situations.

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Taylor played eight games with the Los Angeles Rams last season, recording four sacks as a seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft from Oklahoma State. He was cut from the Rams’ practice squad on Wednesday.

At Oklahoma State, he appeared in 51 games and was a second-team All-American, first-team All-Big 12 selection and was honorable mention for the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Taylor finished the 2022 season ranked third among all FBS players with six interceptions and led the team with 99 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.

Hayes, a 2022 seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma, was waived by the Cardinals on Aug. 27, re-signed to the practice squad, and then subsequently released.

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Arizona Cardinals radio broadcasters Ron Wolfley and Dave Pasch will be back on the call for the first Cardinals Girls High School Flag Football Game of the Week of 2024.

The debut of the NFL squad’s collaboration with Arizona’s Family Sports to broadcast eight high-profile matchups in 2024 will feature Hamilton High School visiting Xavier College Preparatory at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The Cardinals in August announced their plans to shine the light on eight games this season with a broadcast. Arizona’s Family Sports and State Farm are partnering to promote the sport.

“It’s an Olympic sport in LA in ’28,” said Pasch when he joined Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Monday. “It’s a sport that’s on the rise. Wolf and I are going to have a lot of fun getting a chance to celebrate these young ladies tomorrow.”

Pasch (play-by-play) and Wolfley (analyst) will be joined on the broadcast by Cardinals reporter Dani Sureck, who will report from the sidelines.

Eleven states currently offer girls high school flag football. The 2023 season was the first of the sport being officially sanctioned by the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

The AIA had 57 schools participate last year with more than 100 expected to play in 2024.

The debut of the series includes 2023 Cardinals Girls High School Flag Football Offensive Player of the Year Samaya Taylor-Jenkins of Hamilton. She recorded 92 receptions for 1,625 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2023.

Xavier is led by Grace Ledoux, who recorded 40 catches for 320 yards and six touchdowns last season.

Seven other games of the week on Arizona’s Family Sports will take place on Tuesday or Thursday nights through Nov. 7.

How to watch the Cardinals’ broadcast of girls high school flag football

Arizona’s Family Sports can be found on COX channel 13, DirecTV channel 32 and Dish channel 44.

Full listings can be found here.

The Cardinals will also stream the game live on their website.

“We think it’s an exciting way really to elevate these athletes and put a spotlight on them,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill told KTAR News 92.3 FM in August. “We think other NFL teams will follow us maybe even this season … certainly next season. This game is continuing to grow at an exponential rate and it’s exploding here in Arizona.”

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The D-backs’ moves leave starter Gabriel Moreno and backup Jose Herrera as the team’s catchers.

Moreno was activated Sunday after sitting out most of August and the first half of September with an adductor strain. Without him, Arizona struggled to deter aggressive base-running opponents, with Herrera and Del Castillo throwing out five of 52 steal attempts.

Del Castillo was among MLB’s lowest-rated catchers when it came to caught-stealing percentage at second base.

According to Baseball Savant, he also measured out with relatively slow pop times (the time from the catcher receiving a pitch to the second baseman receiving the ball) and slow exchange times (time from receiving a pitch to releasing the ball on a throw).

But on offense, Del Castillo provided an immediate burst for the D-backs upon his first call to the big leagues. He produced three-RBI games in his second and third appearances in August, as Arizona won six games in a row and 12 of 14 to begin his time with the team.

Del Castillo is batting .313 with a .893 OPS, four homers and 19 RBIs as he departs back to Triple-A.

He wasn’t cooling off recently, either, with seven hits, three doubles, one home run and five RBIs in his last four games played.

McGough slides into a bullpen that designated Dylan Floro for assignment on Sunday.

The 34-year-old McGough has been up and down between the majors and minors this year. With the D-backs, he has appeared in 23 games this season but holds a 6.83 ERA and 1.62 WHIP.

McGough has pitched 36.1 frames for the Reno Aces with a 3.22 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in the minors.

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The D-backs have 13 games remaining in four series, including a potential knock-out matchup with the San Diego Padres to close the season with how close the four clubs are.

The Padres ended the weekend in the top Wild Card spot at 85-65. Arizona is 1.5 games back at 83-66, while the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets are two behind the D-backs at 81-68.

FanGraphs updated its playoff odds projections, giving the D-backs an 89.3% shot at the postseason. The Braves (67.1%) and Mets (44.7%) are looked at closer to 50-50, while the Padres are nearly a lock (98.7%).

Let’s see who stands in the way of all four clubs on the schedule.

Diamondbacks NL Wild Card schedule roundup

Padres

Remaining opponents: vs. Houston Astros (3), vs. Chicago White Sox (3), at Los Angeles Dodgers (3), at Arizona Diamondbacks (3)

Key note: San Diego is back in the race for a National League West title, as the Padres enter Monday only 3.5 games back of the Dodgers. That’s a significant hurdle with so few games left, but the Padres could control their own destiny if they walk into their series in Los Angeles only three games or fewer back. San Diego already has the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Diamondbacks

Remaining opponents: at Colorado Rockies (3), at Milwaukee Brewers (4), vs. San Francisco Giants (3), vs. San Diego Padres (3)

Key notes: The D-backs placed starter Ryne Nelson on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, retroactive to Sept. 11. Jordan Montgomery will fill in for the meantime, as Nelson is not eligible to pitch again until the final series against San Diego. Catcher Gabriel Moreno is back off the 10-day IL (adductor strain) after six weeks down, and left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is not far behind.

Braves

Remaining opponents: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (1), at Cincinnati Reds (3), at Miami Marlins (3), vs. New York Mets (3), vs. Kansas City Royals (3)

Key notes: Atlanta put All-Star starter Reynaldo Lopez on the 15-day IL with shoulder inflammation on Wednesday. Second baseman Ozzie Albies told reporters he hopes to rejoin the club this week after two months on the shelf, but the switch-hitter is only comfortable swinging from the right side.

Mets

Remaining opponents: vs. Washington Nationals (3), vs. Philadelphia Phillies (4), at Atlanta Braves (3), at Milwaukee Brewers (3)

Key note: The Mets could be in trouble, as superstar shortstop and MVP candidate Francisco Lindor will have an MRI on Monday after leaving Sunday’s game with back discomfort. Lindor leads the NL with 7.4 fWAR.

Notable announced national TV Games this week

Monday: Dodgers at Braves on MLB Network at 4:20 p.m.

Tuesday: Astros at Padres on TruTV at 6:40 p.m.

Thursday: Diamondbacks at Brewers on FOX at 4:15 p.m.

Friday: Phillies at Mets on Apple TV+ at 4:10 p.m.

Sunday: Phillies at Mets on ESPN at 4:15 p.m.

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