The Diamondbacks announced that right-hander Kendall Graveman was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 8) due to an impingement in his right hip. Righty Christian Montes De Oca was called up from Triple-A Reno to take Graveman’s spot on the active roster.
After missing all of 2024 recovering from shoulder surgery, Graveman’s 2025 debut was delayed until May 13 due to a season-opening stint on the 15-day IL due to a lumbar strain. Graveman then posted a 2.45 ERA over his first 7 1/3 innings and eight appearances for the Snakes before he struggled through a brutal outing in Saturday’s 13-1 Arizona loss to the Reds. Graveman was charged with six earned runs over just one inning of work, shooting his ERA up from 2.45 to 8.64.
It is fair to wonder if this hip problem was to blame for Graveman’s rough game, though some other red flags were there even before he took the mound on Saturday. Graveman has more walks (five) than strikeouts (three) over 8 1/3 total innings, and his 30% grounder rate is well below the 50.9% career groundball rate Graveman had posted over his nine previous big league seasons. His signature sinker is averaging 94.6mph, which is down from a 95.9mph average in 2023, though an early-season velocity drop isn’t unusual for a pitcher just coming back from a long layoff.
Unfortunately for Graveman, that nightmare against Cincinnati will represent his last game for at least a couple of weeks. This latest trip to the IL can hopefully allow the veteran to fully put his health issues behind him, and an in-form Gravement would sorely help a struggling D’Backs bullpen. Given how Arizona has a 31-34 record, Graveman (who is only signed through the 2025 season, with a mutual option for 2026) would be an obvious trade chip as a rental player if the Diamondbacks can’t get back into contention.
In other unwelcome news on the pitching injury front, righty Cristian Mena’s right shoulder strain is specifically a teres major strain, as manger Torey Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Alex Weiner and other reporters. Mena was placed on the 15-day IL on Saturday, but Lovullo said Mena’s absence will be measured in “weeks, not days.”
The 22-year-old Mena made his MLB debut with one three-inning start with the D’Backs last season, and this year had allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings over three relief appearances. Mena was a candidate for some turns in the rotation given all of the injury problems faced by Arizona’s starters, but the righty himself has now joined the IL for what might be a lengthy period of time.
Arizona is usurping the Angels as MLB’s most cursed franchise. Everything they do turns to shlt.