Diamondbacks Shake Up Bullpen Amid Injuries and Struggles: A.J. Puk Heads to IL, Mantiply Demoted
The Arizona Diamondbacks are making major moves to stabilize their bullpen after a chaotic series against the Chicago Cubs. On Saturday, the team announced that reliever A.J. Puk has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation. The timing couldn’t be worse, as Puk had been one of the few bright spots in the D-backs’ bullpen, collecting four saves and 12 strikeouts across eight appearances with a solid 3.38 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.
In a broader bullpen shuffle, the Diamondbacks optioned struggling relievers Joe Mantiply and Bryce Jarvis to Triple-A Reno following a disastrous outing Friday at Wrigley Field. After the team’s offense exploded for 10 runs in the eighth inning to take an 11-7 lead, Jarvis quickly let the Cubs back in with a walk, a hit, and a three-run homer to ex-Diamondback Carson Kelly. Mantiply followed and gave up three more runs on six hits, including two homers, helping the Cubs steal a wild 13-11 win.
The numbers underscore the struggles: Mantiply currently holds an eye-popping 15.95 ERA and 3.00 WHIP, while Jarvis hasn’t fared much better with a 7.36 ERA in six games.
To reinforce the bullpen, Arizona recalled Drey Jameson, who returns after missing the 2024 season following Tommy John surgery. Jameson showed promise in 2023 with a 3-1 record and 3.32 ERA, and he’s off to a solid start in Triple-A Reno this season with 10 strikeouts over 6.2 innings and a 2.70 ERA.
Also joining the big league club are J.P. Feyereisen and Juan Morillo. Feyereisen, who boasts a career 2.95 ERA over 93 MLB appearances, has impressed in Reno with a 0.96 ERA so far this year. Morillo, a former Dodgers farmhand, has been equally effective, logging a 1.42 ERA in six outings with the Aces.
In a corresponding roster move, the D-backs designated infielder Grae Kessinger for assignment to make room for the bullpen reinforcements.
As Arizona continues its series in Chicago, ace Zac Gallen will take the mound in hopes of steadying the ship and snapping the team’s recent bullpen woes.