D-backs recall Adrian Del Castillo from Triple-A

Del Castillo returns to the minors with veteran James McCann back from the injured list to serve as starter Gabriel Moreno’s primary caddy. The 26-year-old offers an intriguing offensive ceiling, but he’s hit just .185 (28-for-151) with five homers and 23 RBI across 51 games in the majors this season.

Del Castillo took Brandon Woodruff deep before Woodruff exited with an injury, and it gave the D-backs a 3-0 lead. The 26-year-old went hitless for the rest of the game, but a three-run roundtripper will suffice. Castillo has not been effective with the bat for the majority of 2026, and even with the homer his .185/.244/.311 slash is far from appealing.

Del Castillo’s glove always figured to hold him back, but he’s been a disaster at the plate this year, too, hitting just 182/.242/.291 with a 29 percent strikeout rate. The Diamondbacks might have room to keep him as a part-time DH after James McCann comes off the IL, but he’s just not giving them any reason to.

Lawlar missed two months after suffering a fractured wrist in his sixth game of the season in April. Now he’s back on the IL after injuring his hamstring in his sixth game after returning to the lineup. Manager Torey Lovullo said there’s some hope Lawlar could beat a potential four- to six-week timeline, but it seems likely that he’s out through the break. The Diamondbacks didn’t recall Ryan Waldschmidt as Lawlar’s replacement, instead choosing Tim Tawa, so it looks like Jorge Barrosa is about to see a significant playing time increase. They can also use Tommy Troy in center, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in left and Adrian Del Castillo at DH in search of more offense, not that Del Castillo has provided much to date.

Smith has not played since the opening series of the season after having surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow. The 30-year-old hit .258/.362/.434 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 288 plate appearances last season. He came into this season as the starter at first base against right-handed pitching. With Ildemaro Vargas playing well, Smith will likely replace Adrian Del Castillo as the team’s regular designated hitter.

Del Castillo is back at DH on Tuesday night after suffering a dislocated left finger during Sunday’s contest against the Padres in Mexico City. The 26-year-old’s playing time figures to take a hit once Gabriel Moreno (oblique) is ready to return from the injured list later this week.

Del Castillo suffered the injury while behind the plate. The 26-year-old was unable to continue and James McCann took over. Del Castillo may need a trip to the injured list, but his status should be updated in the coming days.

Moreno hasn’t played since April 10th, but it sounds like he won’t need a long rehab assignment, or any at all, before returning to the Diamondbacks’ lineup. His return would significantly cut into the playing time for Adrian Del Castillo.

In the top of the 10th inning, Del Castillo launched a 420-foot shot at 103.3 mph off the bat to give the Diamondbacks a three-run cushion. It was his first home run of the season, but Del Castillo has just found himself in a starting job with Gabriel Moreno (oblique) landing on the injured list. We know Del Castillo has big-time power, and he could be of interest in two-catcher formats while Moreno is sidelined.

It turns out Moreno was dealing with an oblique strain when the Diamondbacks said he was dealing with lower back soreness. It’s a bit unclear how much time the 26-year-old backstop is going to miss, but oblique issues can be tricky matters. It’ll be James McCann and Adrian Del Castillo handling the catching duties in his absence.