D-backs’ Paul Sewald, Jace Peterson active following trades; Joe Mantiply recalled
Aug 1, 2023, 4:41 PM | Updated: 6:37 pm
Paul Sewald #37 of the Seattle Mariners looks on against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park on May 31, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald and infielder Jace Peterson were made active for Tuesday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.
Both players were acquired in trades Monday ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. The D-backs made two additional moves just before the deadline, adding right-handed reliever Peter Strzelecki and outfielder Tommy Pham.
Strzelecki — traded by the Milwaukee Brewers for left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin — was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Tuesday, and the D-backs recalled southpaw Joe Mantiply in his place.
The D-backs also optioned infielder Diego Castillo to Reno after he spent one day in the majors and designated reliever Cole Sulser for assignment.
The 40-man roster is at 40 players, and more moves are coming for Arizona on Wednesday.
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Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported prospect Slade Cecconi will be called up and make his MLB debut on Wednesday.
Pham will also need a roster spot. The D-backs had five outfielders active for Tuesday night, including Kyle Lewis who had been recalled on Monday.
Sewald and Peterson arrived after a 4-3 win in 11 innings against San Francisco Monday night, a key series in both the division and wild card races. The D-backs entered Tuesday one game back of the Giants for the top wild card spot and in a three-way tie for the third spot. The Los Angeles Dodgers were 3.5 games ahead of Arizona in the NL West.
Sewald joined a bullpen that capped a dubious July with 4.1 innings and no earned runs on Monday. The D-backs have not had a designated closer all year, as Sewald adds a new dynamic to the staff.
Peterson brings depth to an infield that lost Josh Rojas in the Sewald trade. He was inserted into the starting lineup, batting seventh and playing third base on Tuesday.
Peter Strzelecki deal
The Chafin-Strzelecki trade left the D-backs down a left-handed pitcher in the bullpen alongside Kyle Nelson and Tyler Gilbert, which the organization quickly alleviated with Mantiply.
General manager Mike Hazen said the deal intended to bring in a different pitching profile based on the recent offensive success against Chafin. It was also to add controllable depth considering Arizona’s relief prospects, such as Justin Martinez and Carlos Vargas, have hit bumps in the majors.
“We haven’t had a ton of success to date with some of our younger relievers coming up, and we wanted to shore up, even if it was in the front side of our bullpen and our depth, with that move,” Hazen said.
Hazen also said Gilbert’s recent success and Chafin’s reverse splits played a part in the deal.
