D-backs place Miguel Castro on paternity list, bring back Slade Cecconi

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The Arizona Diamondbacks placed relief pitcher Miguel Castro on the paternity list and recalled rookie starter Slade Cecconi from Triple-A Reno, the club announced on Friday.

Castro steps aside with a 9.1 shutout innings streak dating back to Aug. 29, and 13 of his last 14 appearances have been scoreless.

The right-hander’s ERA has dropped by nearly a run from 5.37 before the streak to 4.55 while throwing primarily in a middle relief role.

The D-backs’ bullpen as a unit has provided a significant boost recently with four earned runs over 24.1 innings during Arizona’s 5-0 homestand against the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants.

Cecconi rejoins the D-backs in New York for their three-game series against the Yankees as the regular season nears its conclusion. Arizona enters the set with a two-game buffer in the second National League Wild Card spot with nine games remaining.

Brandon Pfaadt will start Friday’s game in the Bronx with Zach Davies taking the ball on Saturday. Zac Gallen will be on full rest on Sunday after the D-backs’ off day Thursday and is probable to start.

Cecconi last pitched on Tuesday, but only for two innings. He has started three games in Reno after getting optioned on Sept. 4, throwing 7.2 innings with one earned run and eight strikeouts over his last two.

The right-hander could provide length out of the bullpen or piggyback a short start.

The D-backs and Yankees begin their series at 4:05 p.m. on ESPN 620 AM / 98.7 FM HD-2. 

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