A.J.

Puk

The 30-year-old southpaw will earn a slight raise over the $2.95 million that he took home in 2025. Puk underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in June and is expected to miss most of the 2026 season while recovering. He’ll be arbitration-eligible one final time before hitting free agency.

This was always a potential outcome once the Diamondbacks revealed that Puk was set to visit renowned specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache. He’ll miss the remainder of the 2025 season and the bulk of the 2026 campaign while recovering.

Ugh. That’s never what you want to hear. Puk has been shut down from throwing and will undergo further evaluation to determine his next steps. The 30-year-old lefty opted for the rest and rehabilitation route earlier this year to deal with a flexor strain, but isn’t progressing as hoped. The Diamondbacks already lost their bullpen ace Justin Martinez to Tommy John surgery and now it sounds like Puk could be following the same path. Fantasy managers should expect an update on his status at some point later this week.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters they’re waiting for a second opinion on his MRI results before deciding on his future. The hard-throwing 23-year-old closer was lifted from Monday’s relief outing against the Mariners with elbow tightness and is facing a lengthy absence, even if he elects to proceed with a rest and rehabilitation route instead of surgery. Given their closing experience, veterans Shelby Miller and Jalen Beeks are the logical immediate successors to Arizona’s closer role, at least until lefty A.J. Puk (elbow) returns later this year. They’re worthy of speculative roster spots in deeper fantasy leagues.

Puk has progressed to flat-ground throwing from 60 feet as he continues to work his way back from left elbow inflammation. The 30-year-old lefty reliever managed to avoid season-ending surgery, but he’s quite far from returning to Arizona’s bullpen since he’s building up his throwing program from scratch. It’s theoretically possible he’s back at some point in late June or early July.

Puk has continued to track well in his recovery after imaging showed that no surgery was necessary. He’s not eligible to be activated from the injured list until June 19th, but it seems as if he’s trending towards a return on that date. By the middle of June, the Diamondbacks could have Puk, Justin Martinez, and Kendall Graveman all back in their bullpen.

Puk’s placement on the 60-day injured list means he won’t be able to return until June 19. The left-hander won’t need to undergo surgery — for now — but there’s a good chance he won’t return to the D-Backs until closer to the All-Star break.

It’s arguably the best-case scenario after Puk sought multiple opinions after undergoing an MRI on his injured left elbow. The 30-year-old southpaw closer, who has been diagnosed with a flexor strain, will be shut down until at least mid-May before he’s potentially cleared to start a throwing program. There is no definitive return timetable at this juncture, but it certainly sounds like he’s going to pitch again this season. It’ll be Justin Martinez continuing to handle the closing duties in his absence.

Not good. There’s always a possibility Puk checks out completely fine, but it’s usually a major warning sign when a pitcher is seeking multiple opinions. We’re not going to speculate until there is a definitive diagnosis, but fantasy managers should prepare for the possibility of an extended absence. It’ll likely be Justin Martinez handling the closing duties for Arizona until further notice.

Arizona’s primary closer hit the injured list over the weekend with left elbow inflammation and will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the issue. There should be an official diagnosis and return timeline at some point in the coming days. Fantasy managers should prepare for the possibility of an extended absence. It’ll likely be Justin Martinez, who is currently dealing with fatigue, handling the bulk of the save chances for the Diamondbacks.