Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said after Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Angels that it's "yet to be determined" if Koch would make his next scheduled turn through the rotation Monday against the Marlins, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. "We're going to huddle up and have some conversations and figure out what the next course of action [is]," Lovullo said, regarding the Diamondbacks' rotation plans for the upcoming week.
Expectations were low for Koch when he was promoted from Triple-A Reno in mid-April to replace Taijuan Walker (elbow) in the rotation, but the 27-year-old surprisingly proved to be a reliable back-end starter. He came out of the gates hot with a 3-0 record, 2.59 ERA and 1.05 WHIP through his first five starts, but his 4.9 K/9 and low groundball rate suggested a reckoning was coming. Koch has since delivered a 6.10 ERA in his last seven starts while surrendering 11 home runs, including two in the loss to the Angels. With Shelby Miller (elbow) coming off a strong four-game rehab assignment and checking out fine after a 40-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, it appears he may now be the top candidate to start the series opener versus Miami. If that's the case, Koch would shift to a long-relief role or head back to Reno to continue making regular starts.