The Diamondbacks introduced Sunday that they’ve positioned right-hander Paul Sewald on the 15-day injured checklist with discomfort in his neck, retroactive to Sept. 12. In a corresponding transfer, catcher Gabriel Moreno was activated from the 10-day injured checklist. The information comes as one thing of a shock, notably given the truth that Arizona introduced that it has designated right-hander Dylan Floro for project to make room for Blake Walston on the membership’s lively roster lower than two hours earlier than making this second collection of roster strikes.
Sewald, 34, has pitched simply as soon as since Sept. 2 and has struggled in current weeks, with a 7.71 ERA and 4.89 FIP in seven innings of labor since Aug. 19. These struggles when on the mound and his prolonged stretches with out pitching in any respect could possibly be defined to an extent by the harm, but when Sewald has been harm, it’s shocking that the Diamondbacks have stored him on the roster fairly than opening a spot of their bullpen for a recent arm. Sewald will probably be eligible to return earlier than the top of the common season as a result of back-dated nature of his placement on the IL, though no timetable for his return has been introduced at this level.
Acquired from the Mariners on the commerce deadline final yr, Sewald was among the many most coveted closers within the recreation on the time with a 2.88 ERA and three.34 FIP in 171 2/3 innings of labor for the Mariners since he landed with the membership previous to the 2021 season. Issues haven’t gone properly for him since shifting to the desert, nevertheless, as he walked 12.5% of batters confronted down the stretch with Arizona final yr and has two blow-up outings within the World Sequence towards the Rangers, though these tough appearances have been preceded by eight dominant outings all through the postseason previous to that. Headed into 2024, Sewald retained his function as nearer for the Diamondbacks and regarded dominant early within the yr earlier than ultimately shedding that distinction again in August after a brutal month of July the place he surrendered 12 runs in 10 innings of labor throughout 12 appearances.
Given Sewald’s deep struggles within the second half this yr and his obvious harm troubles, it’s not clear the place he stands within the Arizona bullpen because the membership seems to be forward in direction of what it hopes will probably be its second consecutive playoff push. A return to kind within the postseason could be an enormous enhance for not solely the Diamondbacks but in addition Sewald’s personal fortunes, because the 34-year-old is scheduled to succeed in free company this winter in a free-agent class that figures to be pretty deep when it comes to relievers with late-inning expertise.
In Sewald’s place, Moreno returns to the roster a bit sooner than anticipated. The teen was described earlier this weekend as “very shut” to returning alongside Lourdes Gurriel Jr. however appeared prone to be focusing on a return to motion later this week. With the 24-year-old now seemingly able to step again into his common function behind the plate, the Diamondbacks will now get to make the most of his two-way expertise fairly than having to decide on between a powerful defender with lackluster hitting capability in Jose Herrera and a formidable bat with defensive query marks behind the plate in Adrian Del Castillo. Moreno was within the midst of a advantageous season previous to his harm, slashing .262/.344/.385 slash line with a 105 wRC+ in 314 journeys to the plate this yr.
