Brandon Pfaadt's Role for the Diamondbacks is Already Changing Again

The Diamondbacks' starter-turned-reliever is seeing some changes to his role again.

Apr 19, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt reacts in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt pitched the eighth inning of a game against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. After a scoreless frame, he was pulled for closer Paul Sewald.

Suddenly, an arm that was once a starter, and was later sent to the bullpen to serve as a long reliever, has not thrown more than 16 pitches in 10 days, and has collected just four total outs over his last two appearances.

Part of that has simply been the fact that Arizona's starters continue to deliver lengthy, effective performances. There simply haven't been many innings to go around. That's not a bad problem to have, but it does start to significantly lessen the workload of a traditional long reliever.

As it turns out, Pfaadt may be changing his role with the Diamondbacks once again — this time, into a shorter-relief role.

Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt shortening his role

Apr 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (32) during the first inning at Chase Field against the Atlanta Braves. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Manager Torey Lovullo, when asked on Thursday whether the time may be running out on keeping Pfaadt stretched out to a starter's or long reliever's level of length, was emphatic:

"Yes," Lovullo said. "I think our stretched out is going to be an up-down, four to six hitters. That will be our definition of keeping him stretched out now."

"It's been a little bit of a challenge to keep him stretched out, get him some innings. The starters have been throwing the ball really, really well, so the innings have dried up."

That, of course, does mean the Diamondbacks' starting pitching depth will take a hit. It's generally a dangerous game to go from a one- or two-inning relief arm back to a three-plus-inning long man or a starting pitcher. Drey Jameson, who underwent Tommy John Surgery as a result of such a back-and-forth process, is the most recent warning against doing so.

"We're very hyper-aware of the athlete's shoulder and elbow," Lovullo said. "But Brandon, we feel like he's at a very critical point right now, but he's a piece of our bullpen. He can get outs, he can go out and throw the baseball where he wants, and he can go and be a part of an eight-man bullpen."

Lovullo said he is yet unsure of what it would look like in the event of that type of need, or whether the Diamondbacks would be comfortable stretching Pfaadt back into a longer role again.

"What does that mean if we got to get him really stretched out? I don't know that answer, but we got to figure that out. We'll have to figure that out, but we're not there yet," the manager said.

It hasn't been the easiest, or most predictable season for Pfaadt, who holds an ugly 5.61 ERA thanks to a combination of troublesome appearances as both a starter or a reliever. But he's rolled with the punches, and has adjusted to whatever the Diamondbacks have asked of him.