The Diamondbacks have made a roster move in regards to the bullpen, activating Rubby De La Rosa from the 10-Day DL and optioning JJ Hoover to AAA Reno. De La Rosa was originally placed on the DL on July 6th with shoulder inflammation. Hoover, who was on the DL from June 23rd to July 15th with shoulder issues, has struggled since a big series against the Chicago White Sox back in May. With his injury history and Hoover’s struggles since the start of June, the Diamondbacks are probably in the market to acquire a reliever for the back-end of the bullpen this week.
In the long term, De La Rosa is a more intriguing option because his stuff is better and is better at inducing whiffs than Hoover. With an upper-90s fastball and a devastating slider, RDLR has generated a whiff rate of 18.8% in limited action with both pitches well above average in that department. When he’s on, he can dominate an opposing lineup for an inning or two and try to form the bridge between the starter and Archie Bradley.