Christian Montes De Oca: Everything you need to know

The Diamondbacks released Montes De Oca (back) on Tuesday, Aaron Hughes of SI.com reports. Montes De Oca made his MLB debut last season but underwent back surgery in June that kept him out for the remainder of the year and will also sideline him for most of the 2026 campaign. The 26-year-old righty posted a 4.07 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over 24.1 innings at Triple-A Reno and shouldn't have much trouble landing a minor-league deal despite his injury.

The Diamondbacks outrighted Montes De Oca (back) to Triple-A Reno on Monday. The transaction frees up a spot on the Diamondbacks' 40-man roster. Montes De Oca is recovering from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his back and it's not clear when he will be ready to pitch again. The reliever tossed 2.2 scoreless frames in his lone appearance for Arizona in 2025 and held a 4.07 ERA and 26:6 K:BB over 24.1 innings at Triple-A Reno.

The Diamondbacks transferred Montes De Oca (elbow/back) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday. The transaction was made in order to free a spot on the 40-man roster for catcher Aramis Garcia, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Reno. Montes De Oca was initially shelved earlier this month with right elbow inflammation, and more recently, the Diamondbacks revealed that he needs surgery to repair a stress fracture in his back, which could sideline him for the rest of the season.