Diamondbacks Reliever Exits Game With Illness

On Saturday, Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Brandyn Garcia exited the game alongside a trainer in the fifth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium, according to multiple reports.

Edit: according to the Diamondbacks, Garcia left the game with an illness, not an injury. Arizona Diamondbacks On SI will continue to provide the latest information.

Garcia had been in the midst of a poor inning, hitting two batters and issuing a walk. His location was wild, landing only six of his 16 total pitches for strikes before coming off the field. His velocity, which averaged nearly 97 MPH in the 2025 season, struggled to get to 96 MPH.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Brandyn Garcia Leaves With Illness

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

Garcia, 25, was the primary return of the trade that sent first baseman Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners. He struggled a bit in his initial stint with Arizona, but looked like he had turned a corner as his small sample size progressed.

Garcia is the lone left-hander who appeared to be moving toward making the major league roster after showing promise at the tail end of 2025. Fellow southpaw Philip Abner — who entered the game shortly after Garcia's exit — is the only other (fully healthy) lefty reliever with MLB experience remaining in spring camp.

The D-backs were not overly concerned with that lack of left-hand relief initially, but they also expected Garcia to grow into a more prominent role in 2026.

"We're just trying to get as much talent as we can," general manager Mike Hazen said of his bullpen at the start of full-squad workouts.

"We'll have enough lefties and righties. Those guys that have the ability to get both sides out certainly come at a premium in the marketplace, but there are guys that dominate one side or the other, and that will become more of a complex issue of how we put that group together."

It's not as if platoon advantages mean everything, but it certainly would have been an unconventional approach to go into a season with an all-righty bullpen. Notably, veteran left-hander Jalen Beeks — who led Arizona's relievers in innings in 2025 — is still unsigned for unknown reasons. There may be an unreported medical issue there that has prevented him from landing with a club.

Arizona Diamondbacks On SI will continue to report the latest on the situation. Avoiding an injury altogether would be a massive relief for Arizona.