PHOENIX -- D-backs general manager Mike Hazen sees the way the National League West is unfolding. Right now, his team is at the bottom of the division, while the Padres, Dodgers and Giants show no signs of slowing down at the top.

According to Hazen, June 1 is typically a date when the team takes a step back and evaluates the first two months of the season. Nearing that marker, Arizona is 18-31 after Tuesday’s 8-0 loss to San Francisco at Chase Field. And while the Trade Deadline is still a little more than two months away, it’s not too early to start thinking about the D-backs’ long-term future, especially given their recent struggles.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to act on that right away, but you at least have to be mindful, I think,” Hazen said. “Then, the other dynamic at play this year are the five [NL] playoff spots, and given that, three of the teams in front of us are running pretty hard right now. So we’re going to have to pay attention to all that. 

“I don’t have any real assessments to give you on what we’re thinking. But we need to start playing better. And that’s probably about as succinct as I can put it.”

The D-backs aren’t playing better yet. They’ve now lost nine games in a row and have been held to two or fewer runs seven times during that stretch. They’ve dropped 18 of their past 21 games and have 31 losses, tied for the most in MLB with the Orioles.

This isn’t the first time the D-backs have endured such a tough stretch. In 2018, they led the NL West entering September, then went 8-19 over the final month. In '19, they ended May with 17 losses in 25 games. In the abbreviated '20 season, they had a run of 18 losses in 20 games that spanned late August to early September.

At what point would the D-backs begin to think about organizational changes amid this undesirable trend?

“I’m not in that thought process right now. We’ll reevaluate, evaluate, whatever you want to call it, at the appropriate times,” Hazen said. “Yes, we are paying attention to these times during our season that have happened a couple times over the last few years and what that means. ...

“I do think this time is markedly different than other times, I will say that again, without trying to sound like it’s an excuse. It’s not an excuse, we should be winning more games.”

The biggest difference? Injuries, and lots of them. Arizona has spent much of May sending key players to the injured list and trying to fill the holes with less experienced players.

Some of those youngsters have had smooth transitions. Hazen praised Pavin Smith and Josh Rojas as two players who have impressed him with their offensive contributions and ability to play multiple positions on defense, citing them among the club’s “steadier performers.”

There are growing pains for others. Corbin Martin made his second D-backs start on Tuesday and allowed six runs in four innings. Daulton Varsho was sent down to Triple-A Reno on Monday after batting .171/.227/.244 in 19 games.

“We spend every minute parsing down whys in these things and trying to figure out exactly what, because our job is to fix when things aren’t going well, and things aren’t going well right now,” Hazen said. “Part of that is being able to call up guys to fill in some of those holes as you have them. But then you get into the slippery slope of asking guys that maybe aren’t ready to carry the offense to carry the offense.”

Catcher Carson Kelly, who was carrying the offense before spending 10 days on the IL with a tuft fracture in his left big toe, returned to the lineup Tuesday. He wasn’t on the field for the D-backs’ 0-7 NL West road trip through Los Angeles and Denver, but he didn’t feel any negativity coming out of Monday’s off-day.

“As I could tell walking through the clubhouse, everybody’s in good spirits,” Kelly said. “It’s a good energy.”

That hasn’t cured Arizona’s offensive woes. It has scored 16 runs during its nine-game losing streak (six of which came Saturday), while going 5-for-57 with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-10 on Tuesday.

Manager Torey Lovullo isn’t pinning the recent slide solely on the quiet bats, though.

“We haven’t played a complete game in a long time,” Lovullo said. “We know what those days look like, we know what those games look like and we’ve got to find a way to get back there.”