PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks relief prospect Andrew Hoffmann was removed from Thursday’s Triple-A Reno game with posterior elbow discomfort, according to manager Torey Lovullo.
Hoffmann, acquired from Kansas City for Randal Grichuk, will head back to Phoenix for imaging.
The Diamondbacks optioned Hoffmann on Aug. 20, and he did not appear in a game for Reno until Thursday, as he was held out for fatigue management.
The 25-year-old started his Arizona tenure with 5.1 innings and one earned run before a pair of difficult outings led to an option.
Additionally, surgery is imminent for Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to repair a torn right ACL, Lovullo said. A date and surgeon have not been announced.
Lovullo said he is budgeting for 10-11 months before Gurriel is back up to full speed based on what he’s heard.
The Diamondbacks may be getting an arm back, as Anthony DeSclafani threw a 30-pitch bullpen on Friday. Lovullo said there is a good chance his next outing will be back on the mound for the Diamondbacks.
With those updates, here are notes from this week of Diamondbacks baseball:
Diamondbacks prospect rewarded
Outfield prospect Ryan Waldschmidt won the Texas League Player of the Month for August after a dominant stretch he put together for Double-A Amarillo.
The 2024 No. 31 overall pick, Waldschmidt slashed .371/.504/.639 with six home runs and 12 stolen bases in 26 games played. He worked 24 walks to only 14 strikeouts and led the league with 36 hits.
Waldschmidt has also consistently played center field, showing another level of his defensive ability after playing the corners in college.
Waldschmidt is the Diamondbacks’ No. 1 prospect on MLB Pipeline with Jordan Lawlar having graduated prospect status.
Brandyn Garcia would love to start again
Diamondbacks left-handed reliever Brandyn Garcia threw 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts in Sunday’s game at the Dodgers, his first appearance after getting recalled from Reno. The trade deadline acquisition has experience as a starter and reliever, starting 25 games in the minors last year.
Arizona traded for the 6-foot-5 southpaw from Seattle for Josh Naylor, and he made two MLB appearances for Arizona before getting optioned. Since he went down, he has been stretched out some.
“Got some more length down there in Triple-A, got some more experience, was throwing a little touch-and-feel side bullpen in between those to help me get realigned, get back to committing to what I do best,” Garcia said earlier this week.
“I’m really comfortable in any role. I like throwing a little bit more because I can feel like I have more control over the game, more control over what I have going that day instead of one inning. Like say I don’t have my slider one day, with one inning, I had to be able to figure it out on the run. With more length, I can play the long game rather than the short game.”
Garcia said he’d ideally start games in the future, but he’s open to however the Diamondbacks want to use him.
Arizona, relevantly, has questions regarding who will be in the starting rotation next season with Zac Gallen entering free agency.
Defensive changes?
Lovullo has been openly irked by his team’s defense throughout most of the season. He said they “stunk” in April, and that continued into May.
The D-backs have appeared to pick up the baseball more effectively in the second half, but taking four months to get in a defensive rhythm is unacceptable, especially for a team that prides winning the margins.
For those into defensive metrics, the Diamondbacks rank 23rd in defensive runs saved with -13. Outs above average views them more favorably with eight, which ranks 10th. Looking simply at fielding percentage and errors, the Diamondbacks are a middle-of-the-pack team.
Lovullo has thought hard about what could have been done differently in spring training and is contemplating changes to their preparation next season.
“The drill packages might change a little bit, we might ramp up the intensity,” Lovullo said.
“I know a few years ago we went to the velo ground ball. We were shooting out 89 to 95 mph ground balls, which is a major league average ground ball. I think our guys prepped really well. I’ve talked about running a loop in the clubhouse when they walk in of all the good plays. We talk about it, we tell them, but I think if you have a loop that’s running, everybody likes that.”
Lovullo said he wants to enter mid-May next season without making an error. Consistent, fast and creative are characteristics he watches for in a defense.
The D-backs have a different defensive layout now, with youngsters Tyler Locklear at first base and Blaze Alexander/Lawlar at third.
Taylor Rashi loves proving people wrong
Diamondbacks reliever Taylor Rashi was a 23rd round pick in 2019, was plucked by Arizona in the minor league phase of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft and did not reach Triple-A until 2024.
At 29 years old, he made his MLB debut on Aug. 28 and has two saves in as many appearances.
On the Foul Territory podcast, Rashi said he keeps a list on his phone of everybody who has doubted him going back to high school.
“I like proving people wrong,” Rashi said. “There’s a list of people, and a couple of them got text messages.”
“There’s a list of people, and a couple of them got text messages.” 👀
Taylor Rashi has a list of people in his phone who’ve doubted him throughout his career. pic.twitter.com/EaqdZ9c6e3
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) September 5, 2025
No, Tommy Troy did not get called up
Diamondbacks prospect Tommy Troy was scratched from Reno’s lineup on Thursday, leading to social media speculation that a call-up was possible.
That was not the case, as Lovullo said Troy was removed with lower back stiffness.
Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro added that he did not expect Troy to be called up this year.
“ I love that you guys are paying attention on this level. When somebody comes outta the game, it’s an automatic assumption that he’s coming here, but that’s not the case,” Lovullo said.
