Diamondbacks pitcher Slade Cecconi is a reliever now

PHOENIX — When the Arizona Diamondbacks optioned starting pitcher Slade Cecconi on July 11, they had a new assignment for him.

The D-backs put Cecconi in the bullpen for Triple-A Reno, and on Monday, Arizona recalled him to fill that role.

“Torey (Lovullo) called me on the phone, and he said that was going to be the plan, that was going to be where there would be room for me to get back up here,” Cecconi said. “We’ve got some guys coming back, hopefully pretty soon, to help out the starting rotation, and this is where I have room right now.”

The D-backs optioned Yilber Diaz after his start on Sunday, and there is a good chance the club use Thursday’s off day to keep the four-man rotation in line on five days rest. Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly continue to progress on the injured list, and Lovullo said it is possible one of the two could step back in next week when Diaz’s vacancy rolls around.

Cecconi made three relief appearances in Triple-A since his latest option. He threw five total innings and allowed two runs with seven strikeouts.

In his last appearance, Cecconi dialed up the heat to 99 mph, which was a popular conversation starter when he returned to Chase Field. He averaged 96.7 mph with the fastball.

“Word travels when you throw hard,” Cecconi said with a smile.

Jokes aside, his velocity jump is a sign of what to expect from Cecconi in the bullpen. He can ramp up the heater and shorten his arsenal to focus more heavily on his more comfortable secondary pitches. That means more sliders and fewer changeups, the latter of which he did not throw one of in his last game.

“The extra velocity kind of reminds me of Davis from Tampa, had a really nice career with Kansas City. Wade Davis, right?” Lovullo said. “Sitting around 93-94 mph and everything just spiked up as a reliever. So we explained this to him, that this was a possibility that he could rejoin more quickly as a reliever than as a starter. He went down and grabbed an opportunity and has been throwing ball really well. It’s coming out hot.”

Davis was an up-and-down starter early in his career but made three All-Star Games as a relief pitcher for the Royals, winning the 2015 World Series.

Cecconi has come out of the bullpen for Arizona before, but not very often and usually after an opener to provide bulk innings. Arizona needed him to eat innings for much of the first half with some many pitching injuries.

This has been an adjustment, but Cecconi said he revels in the idea of pitching on any given day.

The move also fits into his season narrative. Cecconi has been stellar facing opponents in the major leagues the first time through the batting order.

When Cecconi starts, opponents are batting .152 against him with 33 strikeouts and five walks the first time through the lineup (117 plate appearances). The second time (113 plate appearances), hitters are batting .412 with only 15 strikeouts. Lovullo has been critical of Cecconi maintaining both his stuff and focus through a start.

“I’m coming in and throwing my best stuff every pitch for it seems like it’ll be 30-40 pitches in the middle relief role,” Cecconi said. “When I know that’s my role, it’s easy for me to just step on the gas for those two innings that I’ve got. There’s no thought of saving anything. That’s the different mentality. … There’s obviously a little bit more of a cat and mouse game as a starter.”

Cecconi said he has sought the advice of fellow 2020 draftee Bryce Jarvis, who made a similar transition last season and has spent all of 2024 in Arizona’s bullpen with a 3.24 ERA. Cecconi said he texted Jarvis first when he got the assignment to ask for suggestions.

Why did Yilber Diaz get optioned

Diaz threw 17 innings with two earned runs in three home starts, although he allowed seven earned runs in his lone road appearance since getting the call-up as a 23-year old.

It was only a matter of time before he got squeezed out, and with the potential for a veteran to return from the injured list, Arizona had the ability to lengthen its bullpen.

If all goes to plan, Diaz will have made his last start for the D-backs this season, but he showed a toughness to get out of difficult situations while keeping his cool. There is certainly plenty to work on, however.

“He’s been more than adequate, he’s helped us win games,” Lovullo said. “There’s a few things he’s got to work on, the command of his secondary stuff, placement of his fastball, perhaps a little pitch tipping, those types of things that he hasn’t really been exposed to in the minor leagues. He’s going to go back down there, get recharged and make sure he’s ready in case there’s starting needs throughout the course of the year.”

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