The D-backs introduced Thursday that they’ve positioned nearer Justin Martinez on the 15-day injured record as a consequence of proper shoulder irritation. Lefty Jose Castillo’s contract was chosen from Triple-A Reno to take his spot on the lively roster. Fellow southpaw A.J. Puk strikes from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL to create 40-man roster house for Castillo.
Martinez was set for an MRI this morning after experiencing an alarming velocity drop over the previous week. He’s gone from averaging triple digits on his energy sinker to sitting simply 93.5 mph in his most up-to-date look. Although the right-hander claimed he felt 100% wholesome, he’ll head to the injured record with a still-vague harm designation. The D-backs will certainly present extra data on his standing and potential timeline later as we speak.
This slate of injury-related strikes is a brutal blow for a D-backs staff that spent a lot of the offseason in search of established bullpen arms however wound up making typically smaller-scale strikes. Martinez and Puk are the staff’s two finest relievers and entered the 12 months because the favorites to work in save and high-leverage maintain conditions. They’re each on the shelf, and whereas Puk’s flexor pressure received’t require surgical procedure, as we speak’s transfer to the 60-day IL solely additional underlines the truth that Arizona goes to be with out him for fairly a while.
Martinez, 23, averaged 100.2 mph on his sinker in 2024 and averaged higher than 100 mph on the pitch in every of his first eight appearances this 12 months. A dip into the 97-99 mph vary over his subsequent three outings was regarding however not essentially trigger for full-fledged alarm. Final evening’s drop all the way in which to 93.5 mph, in an outing the place he confronted three hitters and allowed two walks and a house run, is one other story solely.
It’s turn out to be an ominous state of affairs for D-backs followers to watch, and one which’s compounded by Puk’s absence. Martinez broke out with a 2.48 ERA, 29.5% strikeout price, 11.7% stroll price, 58.9% ground-ball price, eight saves and 7 holds throughout 72 2/3 innings for the Snakes final 12 months. He clearly has some command points, however the elite velocity coupled with plus strikeout and ground-ball charges helped to mitigate that bloated stroll price.
The D-backs, clearly bullish on Martinez’s future, signed him to a five-year, $18MM extension throughout spring coaching. The contract comprises a pair of membership choices for the 2030-31 seasons, which might’ve been Martinez’s first two free agent years. On the time, there was little purpose to worry an harm (past the final attrition price of pitchers in as we speak’s recreation). Now, the outlook is way hazier.
Had been Puk wholesome, the Diamondbacks would absolutely have simply plugged him into the nearer’s function and moved ahead with Kevin Ginkel organising. However Puk hit the injured record with elbow irritation after a powerful eight-inning begin to his 2025 season, and a subsequent MRI revealed a flexor pressure that’ll require a notable shutdown interval.
With Martinez and Puk each shelved, the D-backs will possible flip closing duties over to a mix of Ginkel and Shelby Miller, who returned to Arizona on a minor league deal this offseason and has been excellent after incomes a job this spring. Ginkel solely simply returned from his personal bout of shoulder irritation, which sidelined him for the primary month of the season. From 2022-24, he pitched a mixed 164 2/3 innings with a 2.95 ERA, 26.1% strikeout price and seven.9% stroll price. Miller has pitched 12 2/3 scoreless innings in his return to Phoenix, punching out a gaudy 31.9% of opponents in opposition to an 8.5% stroll price.
The 29-year-old Castillo isn’t prone to replicate the kind of outcomes that might’ve been anticipated from both Martinez or Puk, however he’s a fairly skilled southpaw who’s had some prior success within the majors. Again in 2018-19, the southpaw appeared to be breaking out as a viable bullpen arm for the division-rival Padres, pitching to a mixed 3.23 ERA with a 35% strikeout price and eight.4% stroll price in his first 39 huge league innings.
Accidents have blown up Castillo’s profession since. He suffered a torn ligament in his hand that reduce his 2019 season quick. A torn lat worn out his 2020 season. He underwent Tommy John surgical procedure in 2021 and missed many of the 2022 season in consequence. It’s a staggering run of unlucky maladies for the southpaw, however he’s proven some encouraging indicators since becoming a member of the D-backs on a minor league deal final 12 months.
In 24 innings between Arizona’s Rookie-ball and Triple-A associates final 12 months, Castillo notched a 3.75 ERA. He whiffed 24.1% of his opponents and issued walks at an 8.1% clip with Triple-A Reno. This 12 months, he’s began out by holding opponents to a run on 4 hits and no walks with seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 frames. Castillo has had an arduous grind to get again to the majors after pitching simply two MLB frames from 2019-23. He’s now poised for his first actual look in a bullpen since 2018, regardless of accumulating 4 years of MLB service time by means of his varied stints on the 60-day injured record.
As a result of he solely has 4 years of service, Castillo may very well be a multi-year possibility for Arizona if he can get again to his early profession type. Sufficient time has already elapsed that he received’t be capable to attain 5 years of service earlier than the conclusion of the 2025 season. Which means even when he’s again within the majors for good — and that’s far, removed from sure — he could be managed by means of the 2027 marketing campaign through arbitration.
