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    A.J. Puk (shoulder) shut down for four weeks

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    AZ Relief Pitcher #33
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    A.J. Puk (shoulder) has been diagnosed with a capsular strain and will be shut down from throwing for four weeks.

    Puk underwent an MRI earlier this week after suffering a shoulder injury during the final stages of his minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno. The 31-year-old southpaw will be reassessed in one month before he’s cleared to resume throwing. He’ll ostensibly have to race against the clock to make it back to Arizona’s high-leverage mix before the regular season wraps up.
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  • AZ Relief Pitcher #33
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    The Diamondbacks have yet to announce whether or not he’ll require another surgery to repair the capsular strain in his left shoulder or if rest and rehab will do the trick. Either way, 2026 becomes a completely lost season for the 31-year-old southpaw.
  • AZ Relief Pitcher #33
    Puk was shut down from throwing with a capsular strain in his left shoulder last month and will get an additional medical opinion before the club determines his next steps. The 31-year-old lefty was on the precipice of making it back from elbow surgery before suffering the setback. There should be a definitive update on his status at some point in the coming days.
  • AZ Relief Pitcher #33
    Puk was in the final stages of his rehabilitation from last year’s internal brace procedure on his elbow before the shoulder issue cropped up while pitching at Triple-A Reno. He’s been pulled off a minor league rehab assignment to undergo further evaluation and imaging. The 31-year-old high-leverage arm was trending towards a mid-June return to Arizona’s bullpen. There should be an update on his status later this weekend.
  • AZ Relief Pitcher #33
    He also struck out one while throwing five of his eight pitches for strikes. He sat 95.1 mph on his fastball and topped out at 95.6 mph. He averaged 96.4 mph last season, so the velocity is down, but this was his first rehab outing. Also, the narrow gap between his fastest pitch and his average velocity suggests that Puk was not trying to rear back and let it fly in this first appearance. The 31-year-old will likely need a couple more weeks before he becomes an option in Arizona, but he could quickly become a late-inning complement to Paul Sewald when left-handed hitters are due up.
  • AZ Relief Pitcher #33
    Puk will face some higher level minor-league competition after making three rehab appearances in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League. The 31-year-old southpaw, who is coming off Tommy John surgery, is trending towards a mid-June return to Arizona’s high-leverage mix.
  • AZ Relief Pitcher #33
    Hazen noted that Puk is likely to make seven or eight additional rehab appearances in the minors before he’s ready to jump back into Arizona’s high-leverage mix. The 31-year-old southpaw made his first rehab appearance in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League over the weekend. He figures to help bridge the gap to veteran stopper Paul Sewald, but could wind up vulturing the occasional save in certain matchups.
  • AZ Relief Pitcher #33
    Puk made his return to game action for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. The 31-year-old southpaw will need a couple weeks of rehab appearances before he’s ready to rejoin Arizona’s high-leverage mix. It’s theoretically possible he’ll get a chance to work the ninth inning on occasion but it seems like Paul Sewald is going to remain the Diamondbacks closer for now.
  • AZ Relief Pitcher #33
    Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that Puk was sitting in the mid-90s with his fastball and “felt good coming out of the session.” We’d imagine he would face live hitters maybe once more before going out on a rehab assignment, but the left-hander could be back with the Diamondbacks in early June. We can’t see the team simply removing Paul Sewald from the closer’s role, but it could be more of a committe with Puk back in the mix.
  • AZ Relief Pitcher #33
    It’ll be Puk’s first time facing hitters since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. The 31-year-old lefty is on track to begin a minor league rehab assignment later this week and could return to Arizona’s high-leverage mix at some point next month. He’s a name to watch in deeper mixed leagues, especially if his velocity and stuff are back to pre-surgery levels during rehab outings.
  • AZ Relief Pitcher #33
    Puk told reporters afterwards that he’s completed four bullpen sessions during his rehabilitation process from last year’s Tommy John surgery. He also added that he could potentially be ready to return to Arizona’s high-leverage mix by late May.

Rotoworld

  • LAD Shortstop #50
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    Mookie Betts went 3-for-5 and hit his 16th homer Wednesday as the Dodgers topped the Rockies 6-4 in 10 innings.

    Betts singled in the second run of the 10th after Freddie Freeman singled to knock in the automatic runner. The three-hit game was Betts’ 10th of the year. He’s batting .237/.291/.412 through 91 games.
  • LAD Starting Pitcher #11
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    Roki Sasaki yielded two runs in five innings and struck out six Wednesday versus the Rockies.

    It’s the fourth straight outing in which he’s allowed exactly two runs, and he has a 2.31 ERA over his last six starts. Sasaki left with a two-run led tonight, but since it didn’t hold up, he remains 5-5 through 22 starts. He’ll likely pitch in Atlanta next week, making him a mediocre play in mixed leagues.
  • LAD Relief Pitcher #66
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    Tanner Scott pitched a scoreless 10th inning to notch his 18th save Wednesday against the Rockies.

    The Dodgers gave Scott two runs to work with, but he didn’t need the margin for error, retiring the side on just eight pitches. Since the All-Star break, he’s allowed just two runs in 12 2/3 innings while collecting five saves and six holds.
  • COL Left Fielder #22
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    Mickey Moniak finished 3-for-5 with a two-run homer Wednesday versus the Dodgers.

    Moniak, who came into the night 5-for-36 with one extra-base hit over the previous two weeks, hit a game-tying homer off Alex Vesia in the seventh. It was his third homer off a lefty this year and 20th overall.
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    Kiké Hernández went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI against the Rockies on Wednesday.

    Hernández hasn’t started against a righty this month and has been on the bench against some lefties, but he’s made good use of his limited playing time by going 8-for-32 with two homers and two doubles. He still probably won’t get any starts this weekend against the Pirates.
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    Christian Vázquez went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in a 3-2 win over the Angels on Wednesday.

    Vázquez opened up the scoring in this game with a solo home run in the third inning. The Angels then pulled ahead in the top of the fourth before the Astros stormed ahead in the bottom of the frame and didn’t look back. Vázquez has pushed his way into a part-time role as the Astros’ catcher starting six of their last 10 games due to the continued struggles from Yainer Diaz.
  • HOU Relief Pitcher #71
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    Josh Hader walked one in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save on Wednesday against the Angels.

    Entering in a one run game, Hader did not make things easy on himself by walking Travis d’Arnaud to start the ninth inning. Then, Adam Frazier came on to pinch-run and stole second base to make it even more tense. Yet, Hader slammed the door after and converted his 18th straight save without blowing a chance so far this season.
  • HOU Starting Pitcher
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    Ethan Pecko allowed three hits and two runs with three walks and four strikeouts across 3 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Angels on Wednesday.

    All things considered, Pecko showed tremendous mettle in his debut despite working very hard in it. Practically nothing came easy as he was pulled with 89 pitches before getting through four innings – 58 of which came in the second and fourth – but had his swing-and-miss stuff working. His sinker bailed him out on numerous occasions as a true bat-missing pitch running in on the hands of right-handed batters. He also showed off the depth of his repertoire by forcing a whiff with five different pitches. Still, bear in mind that he only threw 31% of his pitches in the strike and really relied on those whiffs. He’s currently scheduled for a two-start week coming up against both the Yankees and Mets on the road.
  • LAA Left Fielder #3
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    Josh Lowe went 2-for-2 with a run scored, walk, and was caught stealing on Wednesday against the Astros.

    Back in a nearly everyday role, Lowe is heating up just enough to get some deep league attention. He reached base three times in this game before being lifted for a pinch-hitter against Josh Hader in the ninth inning. He was also caught stealing, but we’re happy to see him attempting one, and has two homers since last Friday.
  • LAA Starting Pitcher #57
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    Walbert Ureña allowed three hits and three runs with two walks and seven strikeouts over five innings in a loss to the Astros on Wednesday.

    Ureña breezed through the early part of this game retiring the first eight batters he faced until Christian Vázquez took him deep for a solo shot. That seemed to knock him off his spot a little bit because he ran into trouble in the following inning. Yordan Alvarez hit a lead-off single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Then, he walked Isaac Paredes after an eight-pitch battle before Jose Altuve yanked a double down the line. Cam Smith later hit a sacrifice fly to put the Astros up. Ureña can struggle against right-handed batters – as he did during that Astros’ rally – as a changeup-first righty pitcher without a reliable sweeper. That’s what did him in during that inning, but this was still a fine start as Ureña has done well to elevate his floor as this season’s wore on. In total, he has a 2.80 ERA, 109 strikeouts, and 59 walks through 112 2/3 innings in what’s become a great breakout year. Next up, he’s scheduled for a two-start week against the Guardians and Phillies with both starts at home.