Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: First Cactus League start set

Gallen is set to make his first Cactus League start March 1 against the Reds, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.

Gallen, projected as Arizona's No. 1 starter, tossed a career-high 243.2 innings in 2023, including the postseason. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talked about building up both Gallen and No. 2 starter Merrill Kelly, who threw a career-high 201.2 innings. "Obviously the buildup is of maximum concern -- we want to make sure they are at a certain pitch limit for their first start of the year," Lovullo said. Gallen was 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA (3.26 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP over 34 regular-season starts last season.