In a move that might raise some eyebrows at first glance, the Arizona Diamondbacks have optioned right-handed pitcher Yilber Diaz to Triple-A and recalled right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi ahead of their three-game series against the Washington Nationals, which begins on Monday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Diaz was called up to make his major league debut in early July, where he impressed by pitching six solid innings and allowing just one earned run against the Braves. Unfortunately, a blown save by Paul Sewald prevented Diaz from earning his first major league win.
Since his debut, the 23-year-old Diaz has continued to perform well. He recently pitched a five-inning shutout against the Pirates on Sunday. Once again, Sewald’s blown save in the ninth inning resulted in a loss for the Diamondbacks in extra innings, costing Diaz another potential win.
Diaz has left the game with a lead in three of his four starts. His only rough outing came against the Royals last week when he allowed seven runs and was pulled before the end of the third inning.
Slade Cecconi, meanwhile, was optioned to Triple-A 19 days ago. In his time with the Reno Aces, he pitched five innings out of the bullpen, striking out seven batters while allowing five hits and two earned runs. The former first-round draft pick previously served as a starter for the Diamondbacks, posting a 6.14 ERA across 13 starts. Given Arizona’s recent bullpen struggles, the team is looking to Cecconi to bolster their relief depth.
The Diamondbacks’ series opener against Washington is scheduled for 6:40 PM, with Jordan Montgomery set to make his second start since returning from the injured list. With Montgomery back in the rotation, the Diamondbacks won’t need a fifth starter until next Tuesday, by which time Merrill Kelly may be back from the injured list, or possibly Eduardo Rodriguez, who has been out all season.
Stau tuned for further updates.
