A New Addition Appears on Arizona Diamondbacks Injury Updates

The following are the health updates provided by Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo on Saturday afternoon prior to their game against the Chicago Cubs.

Adrian Del Castillo landed on the Reno Aces' 7-day Minor League IL on March 28 with an undisclosed injury. The catcher dealt with elbow soreness early in camp and then some abdominal discomfort later in camp according to Lovullo. The manager was not sure what the latest issue was, but one club official said this was a new issue that had cropped up.

Jordan Montgomery & Blake Walston

Lovullo had text exchanges with Montgomery and Walston, both of whom had Tommy John surgery this week.

"Both are doing well, everything went as expected and they're on the mend. In both situations the doctors did exactly what they wanted to do. They both seem to be in good spirits," Lovullo said.

Lovullo encouraged both pitchers to step back, heal up, and follow the protocol. "Following the protocol means not taking a day too soon or a day too late. You've got to hit right on the sweet spot, and they'll be back in time."

According to the MLB Glossary, the recovery time ranges between 12-18 months. Montgomery is signed to a one-year, $22.5 million contract for 2024 and is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of 2025.

Walston, who was a rookie last year with just 18.1 innings pitched and less than 100 days service time, is still under team control through at least 2030. He spent time on the IL last year with what was then listed as elbow inflammation on the injury report.

Walston revealed earlier that the cause of his injury was due to bone spurs that showed up last season however. "That was a bone spur," Walston explained. "They told me this is fraying your UCL, it's going to go at some point, we just don't know when, and I guess it went."

Related Content: D-backs Blake Walston Reveals Cause of Elbow Injury and Timeline

Montgomery said the cause of his injury could have been tied to throwing too hard in an effort to get back to game readiness as quickly as possible.

"I was probably just trying to throw too hard too soon," Montgomery said. "I was throwing bullpens really hard. And then get in a game and tense up, trying to make the perfect pitch, and that's never good for your arm."

Related Content: Diamondbacks' Jordan Montgomery to Have Tommy John Surgery

Blaze Alexander (10-day IL retroactive to March 24, right oblique strain) continues his ramp-up progression. The utility man is playing games in minor league camp. He served as the DH in one game, and then followed that up by playing five innings in the outfield and getting three at-bats.

Kevin Ginkel (15-day IL, retroactive to March 27 due to shoulder inflammation) is still in the treatment phase and has not yet resumed throwing.

Kendall Graveman (15-day IL, retroactive to March 27 due to lumbar strain) is still scheduled to throw a bullpen on April 1. Graveman last pitched in a major league game on September 30, 2023 while with the Houston Astros.

Roster Move

Catcher René Pinto cleared waivers on Saturday, and was outrighted to Triple-A Reno. He'll serve as catching depth, particularly with Del Castillo down for the time being.

Pinto hit .263/.263/.421 with three doubles over 19 plate appearances in the Cactus League.