Paul Sewald Makes First Rehab Appearance with Reno

The Diamondbacks closer took the mound in a game for the first time since suffering a left oblique strain in March.

Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald cleared a hurdle in his first rehab assignment. Pitching the eighth inning of Reno's 10-9 extra-inning loss to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Sewald allowed an unearned run on two singles and a walk, but also struck out two.

He threw 21 pitches on Tuesday, 13 four-seam fastballs and 8 sweepers. Both strikeouts came on his four-seamer, dotting the low and outside corner for his first and getting a high fastball by a hitter for a swinging strikeout. The action on his pitches looked normal, although his average velocity was at 91.0 on his four-seamer.

The next steps for the D-backs closer for a return to action are unclear but more clarity could be provided by manager Torey Lovullo before Wednesday's game. Sewald could be looking to return as early as the series against the Seattle Mariners on the weekend, although the team should ensure he'll stay healthy once activated. Any recurrence or compensation injury would harm the team's success in 2024.

Arizona's bullpen is still reeling from losing their closer before the start of the season, although more from the trickle-down effect than the actual ninth inning. From a win probability standpoint, the bullpen ranks 28th in MLB and has the second most meltdowns, with 20, despite being towards the middle of the pack in terms of ERA. That has contributed to the team's 5-10 record in games decided by three runs or fewer.

One positive development in Sewald's absence has been the emergence of Bryce Jarvis as a potential option. Jarvis ranks second, behind Ryan Thompson, in WPA and is starting to see more important situations. He along with Thompson and Ginkel could form a promising setup to Sewald and help solidify the bullpen from the sixth inning onwards.