Arizona Diamondbacks waive 3 players, Hernandez claimed by A’s

The Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Thursday they have waived infielder Yonny Hernandez, infielder Jake Hager and right-handed pitcher Keynan Middleton. Hernandez was claimed by the Oakland Athletics while Hager and Middleton cleared waivers.

Hernandez, 24, was originally acquired by the D-backs in April in exchange for center fielder Jeferson Espinal. He appeared in 12 games for Arizona last season, recording two hits and two walks in 28 plate appearances. He spent the majority of his season with the Triple-A Reno Aces, where he hit .244 with one homer and 31 RBIs across 70 games.

In early September, Hernandez’s season ended after he was placed on the 60-day injured list for a left calf strain.

The 29-year-old Hager was claimed off waivers by the D-backs at the end of the 2021 season. Like Hernandez, he bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the majors.

Hager had 59 plate appearances in 28 games for the D-backs while he had 72 outings and 303 plate appearances for Reno. He slashed .240/.345/.280 in MLB and .261/.342/.391 in the minors.

Middleton, 29, was signed to a minor league contract in December. As a reliever for the D-backs, the righty pitched 17.0 innings across 18 outings for a 5.29 ETA and 1.118 WHIP.

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