The Arizona Diamondbacks parted ways with one of the relievers who made their Opening Day roster. Right-hander Joe Ross has been released from Triple-A Reno, per Reno’s transaction tracker. The date of the transaction was May 18.
Ross, 33, is the younger brother of Tyson Ross, a long-time nemesis of the Diamondbacks. The former National, Brewer, and Phillie signed with the club on a minor league deal in February.
In five Cactus League appearances, Ross pitched to a 7.71 ERA with six strikeouts and five walks over seven innings. The Diamondbacks elected to roster the right-hander in their bullpen to begin the 2026.
Joe Ross 2026 Season with the Diamondbacks
While Ross made Arizona’s Opening Day roster as a reliever, it would be a short stay on the active roster. After a scoreless outing in his team debut at Dodger Stadium, it was rough for the right-hander.
In his final two appearances, he allowed eight runs in 2.2 innings to the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves. With back-to-back disaster outings in four days, it put the Diamondbacks’ bullpen in a rough spot.
With the right-hander struggling in mop-up duty. Arizona designated Ross for assignment on April 3. In three appearances, he had a 19.64 ERA with two strikeouts and four walks over 3.2 innings. The right-hander elected free agency after clearing outright waivers but signed another minor league deal and reported to Reno.
With the Aces, the right-hander pitched to a 4.29 ERA with 12 strikeouts and five walks over 21 innings. However, with not much of an opportunity to work his way back to the big leagues, Ross was released from his minor league deal.
Ross isn’t the only right-handed reliever released from his contract in the past week. John Curtiss, who pitched for the 2025 squad, was released on May 15.
Diamondbacks Bullpen Has Performed Surprisingly Well in 2026
The Diamondbacks’ bullpen, often a sore spot under general manager Mike Hazen’s tenure, has been surprisingly solid in 2026. The club enters play on May 21 with a 4.17 ERA, a 3.94 FIP, and a 4.05 xFIP, putting them around the middle of the pack in each metric.
Of the current eight relievers on Arizona’s roster, six have an ERA below 4.00. Only veteran closer Paul Sewald (4.15) and former starter Brandon Pfaadt (5.29) are over that mark. For May, the unit carries a 1.97 ERA that ranks third in MLB and a 2.72 FIP that ranks fourth.
Juan Morillo has been one of the biggest success stories of the bullpen. The right-hander’s command has drastically improved, elevating him into a key leverage role ahead of Sewald. Morillo leads the unit with 12 shutdowns, relief appearances with a +6% win probability added. Jack Lambert of Driveline Baseball posted a graphic on X showing that the flamethrower had one of the best four-seamer accuracy and precision improvements.
The offseason additions to the bullpen have really flourished. Veterans Taylor Clarke and Jonathan Loaisiga have been great in setup roles, with a 2.14 and 2.79 ERA on the year. Clarke is tied with Sewald for the second-most shutdowns on the club with eight.
While the Diamondbacks don’t have a shutdown unit, they’ve carried their weight for the club. That’s allowed Arizona to get to a 25-23 start on the season and on the periphery of National League Wild Card contention.
Diamondbacks Release Opening Day Reliever with 19.64 ERA