The Arizona Diamondbacks are in deep trouble with their pitching staff.
Former ace Zac Gallen saw his ERA balloon last night to 6.10, the worst qualified ERA in the majors.
Now, amid injuries and horrible seasons from most of the staff, the Diamondbacks have made some aggressive moves.
According to Arizona’s social media pages, the Diamondbacks have called up right-hander Jose Cabrera and left-hander Kohl Drake. In corresponding moves, Arizona optioned left-hander Philip Abner to Triple-A and designated right-hander Yilber Díaz for assignment.
After Saturday’s pitching meltdown against the Minnesota Twins, it was expected that Arizona would do something to shake up the staff.
What Does This Mean for the Players Called Up to the Arizona Diamondbacks?
Cabrera will make his MLB debut on Sunday, but as a starter for Arizona. This is quite an aggressive call-up for Cabrera, given that he wasn’t in the organization’s top-30 prospects.
However, he will make a spot start amid Arizona’s rash of injuries. The 24-year-old out of the Dominican Republic debuted in the minors in 2021.
While he hasn’t put up above-average numbers, he has kept afloat in tough leagues to pitch in.
So far in 2026, Cabrera has a 3.69 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A, both in hitter-friendly parks.
In 61 innings, Cabrera has struck out 64 batters, walking just 16. Overall, his peripherals look good and may be the reason Arizona is giving him his debut.
As for Drake, Arizona acquired the 25-year-old in the Merrill Kelly trade at last year’s deadline, among other pieces.
Since coming to the desert, Drake has had a 9.18 ERA in 2025 with Triple-A Reno and a 7.83 ERA so far this year.
Despite being the team’s No. 12 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Drake seemed to be far away from his major league debut. Even though he was pitching in a hitter-friendly park, Drake is showing average or below-average stuff with bad control. In 54 innings this year, Drake has a whopping 26 walks.
What About the Players Sent Down?
Despite a valiant effort in a 16-8 loss to Minnesota on Saturday night, Abner was sent down.
In 2.2 innings, he gave up one hit, two walks and one strikeout, without giving up a run.
However, his ERA only went down to 9.95 on the season due to horrible outings on June 5 and April 30.
In those two games, he gave up a combined seven earned runs in 3.2 innings. Despite being one of the few lefties in the bullpen, Abner had to be sent down.
As for Díaz, he was the No. 22 prospect in Arizona’s system according to MLB Pipeline. He was once considered a prospect with an elite fastball and curveball, but with horrible control. He has pitched in nine major league games in his career.
However, Saturday was his worst performance by far. In just 0.2 innings, Díaz gave up an astounding seven runs on seven hits and a walk.
He will have to pass through waivers, but it’s unlikely he sees the major league roster again this season, barring more injuries.
With the Diamondbacks’ pitching in flux, general manager Mike Hazen might need to make a move soon for depth.
Diamondbacks Make Aggressive Roster Moves Amid Pitching Woes