D-backs Shake Up Pitching Staff with Series of Roster Moves

Merrill Kelly and Miguel Castro have been placed on the 15-day injured list, Tommy Henry and Andrew Saalfrank have been recalled from Triple-A Reno.

Apr 15, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly pitches against the / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Diamondbacks have made a series of roster moves ahead of Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Right-hander Merrill Kelly has been placed on the 15-day injured list and left-hander Tommy Henry has been recalled from Triple-A Reno to start. For the bullpen, right-hander Miguel Castro has been placed on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation, with left-hander Andrew Saalfrank recalled from Reno to take his place.

LATE UPDATE: The D-backs have also placed LHP Kyle Nelson on the 15-day IL with left shoulder inflammation and recalled RHP Justin Martinez.

Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters last night it was "likely" that Kelly would go on the IL. The right-hander was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday against San Francisco, with Slade Cecconi filling admirably. Kelly told reporters that he suffered a teres major strain on Monday after he reported discomfort in his right shoulder playing catch Saturday.

Lovullo updated reporters, including the Arizona Republic's Theo Mackie, Tuesday that Kelly will not need surgery to address the injury, but will be shut down until he's asymptomatic. The right-hander is seeking additional opinions to determine the severity and the next course of action.

Merrill Kelly will not need surgery on his teres major strain, Torey Lovullo said. Lovullo added that the D-Backs don’t know the severity or the next steps for Kelly yet. He said that will depend on “a couple of other opinions.”

— Theo Mackie (@theo_mackie) April 23, 2024

Since Henry was optioned to Triple-A on April 17th, he would be ineligible to be recalled to the major league roster before May 2nd except to replace an injured player. He was sent down after a poor start against the Chicago Cubs, allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings in what eventually became a 12-11, come-from-behind win.

In four starts this season, Henry has pitched to a 6.87 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 18 1/3 innings. He'll need to hold down the fort for the foreseeable future, with Ryne Nelson and Eduardo Rodríguez on the mend with elbow and shoulder injuries respectively.

Castro pitched in eight games in 2024, with a 5.19 ERA over 8 2/3 innings. His velocity is down 1-2 MPH on all his pitches compared to last season. He tried to pitch through it, but the issue got progressively worse and led to the team shutting him down. Castro will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder Wednesday.

Miguel Castro will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder tomorrow, Torey Lovullo said.

Castro has been dealing with the discomfort for a bit now but it sounds like it’s gotten gradually worse, prompting the D-Backs to shut him down.

— Theo Mackie (@theo_mackie) April 23, 2024

Saalfrank, 26, made his major league debut in the final month of 2023. He did not allow an earned run and was a key arm in the bullpen in the team's run to the World Series, with a 3.18 ERA in 11 appearances. He competed for one of the bullpen spots this spring but lost out to Joe Mantiply and Kyle Nelson and was optioned to Triple-A. With Reno, he pitched to a 2.61 ERA in 10 1/3 innings and a 6/4 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Additionally, the team has acquired infielder Sergio Alcántara from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations and claimed left-hander Joe Jacques off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. Both players will report to Reno.

Alcántara, 27, was originally signed by the D-backs out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 and was dealt in the J.D. Martinez deadline deal. He returned to Arizona in 2022, hitting .265 with five home runs as a reserve infielder. He signed a minor league deal with the Pirates, with an invite to Spring Training. He played 11 games with their Triple-A affiliate.

Jacques, 29, has a career 5.08 ERA in 24 career games. In his lone appearance with the Red Sox, he allowed one run in 1 2/3 innings. He was designated for assignment by Boston when they called up former D-backs farmhand Cam Booser to their major league roster. Jacques is a side-arming lefty who relies on ground balls to get outs.

Jace Peterson was released by the D-backs on Monday. The veteran infielder was acquired at the trade deadline from the Oakland Athletics last July in exchange for minor league pitcher Chad Patrick. Peterson hit just .157 with a .469 OPS in 55 games in Arizona. He was designated for assignment ahead of Saturday's game after hitting 1-for-22 with three walks on the season.