D-backs GM Addresses Andrew Saalfrank's Season-Ending Surgery

Another big loss for the Diamondbacks bullpen will need to be overcome in 2026

Sep 16, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Andrew Saalfrank against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It was not an easy road back to the Major Leagues for Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Andrew Saalfrank. Returning in early July from a one-year MLB suspension for gambling, the young pitcher managed to put all that behind him to forge a successful season.

Un-scored-upon in his first seven outings starting on July 12, he went on to post a stellar 1.24 ERA in 29 innings pitched, carving out a leverage role in a decimated D-backs bullpen.

There were warning signs, however. His sinker velocity was 92.5 MPH when he first arrived on the scene in September of 2023. But upon returning last year, he was sitting 88-89 MPH. At the time he said he felt like it was due having a shorter ramp-up period due to the suspension and that the velocity would come back up. It never did.

It turns out the reason behind that was a shoulder injury. We learned the other day, as reported by Alex D'Agostino, that Saalfrank will miss the entire 2026 season due to shoulder surgery. General Manager Mike Hazen shed light on the nature of the injury during the first day of D-backs spring training.

Hazen confirmed that the injury to his shoulder began in the 2025 season, but Saalfrank pitched through it.

"I don't think where he was at physically it was going to last successfully. He was having some shoulder soreness. He dealt with a little bit of that at the end of the year last year, but pitched through it.

After starting his throwing program it soon became apparent that he was not going to make it through a full season.

"I think the thought that he was going to get through another 162 days was probably too much, and that's why we went in this direction," Hazen said.

The technical term for the type of injury Saalfrank had is called Bennett's Lesion, for which Hazen said they cleaned out and beveled out.

He added, "I do believe they did some minor things to the labrum and the rotator cuff, just trimming up or tacking down, not in a significant way, but all of those things are what's costing the time frame."

This injury leaves the team without one of the key leverage pitchers they were counting on for 2026.

"It certainly thins out the left side going into the season. It's something we're cognizant of. I'm still in the market to continue to improve and enhance. I mean, there will be opportunity for some of the younger lefties, but we're in the market still," Hazen said.

There are internal options to fill expanded roles, not the least of whom is hard-throwing Brandyn Garcia. Beyond him the options are limited, however, as D'Agostino outlined in a previous article.

For a team that went through the ringer when it came to bullpen injuries in 2025, with carryover into 2026, it's a bad start on the health front. Earlier in the day we learned that Justin Martinez is out until late August. A.J. Puk expects to be back before July but is almost certain to miss the first two months of the season.