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Lopez set to return to D-backs' lineup

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By Tom Singer / MLB.com

05/30/09 2:24 AM ET

PHOENIX -- Coming off one of their poorer efforts of the season, the D-backs hope to look healthier for their nationally televised game on Saturday. But they're definitely due to get healthier. Felipe Lopez, Arizona's top hitter all season until being recently overtaken by smoking Justin Upton, is likely to be back at second base for the third game of the four-game series against the Braves.

Lopez came out midway through last Saturday's Interleague game in Oakland with a tight left hamstring and hadn't played since until grounding out in a late-game pinch-hitting appearance Friday night. A few hours prior to that, he may have taken his last steps on the comeback trail, running during pregame workouts without problems.

"It felt real good. I was making cuts and turns, and it felt great," Lopez said. "Hopefully, Saturday will be the day."

The return of the .321 hitter would be one of the highlights of a game that will be a part of FOX's Saturday package, with Kenny Albert and regular D-backs announcer Mark Grace set to call the regional telecast.

Arizona manager A.J. Hinch kept a close eye on Lopez's workout but will trust his judgment on when to reinsert him in the lineup.

"He has to feel right," Hinch said. "When he's convinced me of that, he'll be ready to go."

Ryan Roberts' play has removed any urgency for getting Lopez back on the field. Roberts, who previously hadn't started consecutive games, has gone 9-for-24 in Lopez's absence, raising his season average to .370.

"With how Roberts has played, we could afford for Lopez to get right," Hinch said.

Pitching matchup
ARI: LHP Doug Davis (2-6, 3.77 ERA)
Davis has found it hard to get a win lately despite pitching well. In his last outing, he seemed well on his way to a win against the Padres. Davis allowed just one run through seven innings and the D-backs had built a 7-1 lead. However, things fell apart for the D-backs in the eighth as the bullpen imploded and allowed five runs to pull the Padres to within 7-6. One inning later, Chad Qualls blew just his second save of the year and the D-backs wound up losing, 9-7, in 10 innings. Davis is in the final year of a three-year contract extension he signed after coming over in a trade prior to the 2007 season.

ATL: RHP Javier Vazquez (4-4, 3.80 ERA)
Vazquez has allowed five earned runs or more in three of his past six outings and allowed two earned runs or less in the other three starts that encompass this span. Making his recent inconsistencies more maddening is the fact that the majority of the struggles encountered during each of those three losses were experienced in the fifth or sixth innings. While working seven innings and getting a no-decision during his May 15 start against the Diamondbacks, the 32-year-old right-hander allowed two earned runs and registered 10 strikeouts.

Tidbits
The May 17 rainout in Atlanta has been re-scheduled by the Braves for Aug. 17 -- originally an off day on both teams' schedules -- at 1:05 p.m. MST. For the D-backs, it will now be the first of a 10-game trip and the start of a stretch of 17 out of 20 games on the road. ... Chris Snyder's second-inning double on Friday kept alive the D-backs' streak of at least one extra-base hit in each of this season's 49 games. Reverting to last season, they have a 70-game extra-base streak. ... The D-backs still have won consecutive home games only once, on April 26-27 over the Giants and the Cubs. ... Hinch deployed his 20th different lineup in the 20 games since he took over as Arizona manager.

Tickets
 Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.

On the Internet
 MLB.TV
 Gameday Audio
•  Gameday
•  Official game notes

On television
• FOX

On radio
• KTAR 620, KSUN 1400 (Español)

Up next
• Sunday: Diamondbacks (Max Scherzer, 2-3, 3.38) vs. Braves (Kris Medlen, 0-2, 9.72), 1:10 p.m. MST
• Monday: Diamondbacks (Billy Buckner, 1-1, 7.16) at Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, 3-3, 4.34), 7:10 p.m. MST
• Tuesday: Diamondbacks (Dan Haren, 4-4, 2.54) at Dodgers (Randy Wolf, 3-1, 2.84), 7:10 p.m. MST

Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.