Why The Diamondbacks Made Decision to Call Up Drey Jameson

The Arizona Diamondbacks made a pitching swap roster move on Saturday morning.

Right-hander Drey Jameson was called up from Triple-A Reno for the first time in the 2026 season. Righty Kade Strowd, who made his Diamondbacks debut Friday night, was optioned to Reno.

Strowd left Friday night's blowout early with a trainer, experiencing some "dead arm" during his outing. Manager Torey Lovullo said, so far, Strowd does not seem to be seriously injured, but that the team would continue to evaluate the 28-year-old.

"We'll know more in the coming days with him. I tried explaining to you last night that he had a little bit of a dead arm, and just couldn't really get the power that he wanted," Lovullo said.

So, what was the reasoning behind the move, if Strowd is not going on the IL? Lovullo explained how Jameson earned his latest opportunity.

Why Diamondbacks called up Drey Jameson

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Drey Jameson — Drey Jameson during photo day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Feb. 21, 2024. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The obvious reasoning is the simple fact that Arizona's bullpen needed coverage. Strowd, dead arm or not, threw 32 pitches in an up-down Friday night. He'd be unavailable for Saturday's game, anyway.

But as far as Jameson is concerned? Lovullo offered some insight on his opportunity:

"He's got a great ability to take the baseball and compete, and he's been throwing extremely well in AAA, and this is a well-deserved call-up for him," Lovullo said.

"He's made some quality adjustments. He's got a big arm, and throwing 100 isn't the only objective for a diamondback pitcher. You gotta throw it where you want, you gotta fill the strike zone, create weak contact, swing-and-miss, and he's been having a lot of success in that area.

"He's learned how to pitch. I think there's a changeup that's been in play, there is a better breaking ball that'sbeen developing. So that's him making improvements," Lovullo continued.

Jameson's minor league ERA doesn't exactly look like that of a top-level pitcher as it stands. It's sitting at 7.33 in the offense-heavy Reno environment.

But it is worth noting that, despite some blowups this season, Jameson has turned in 10 scoreless outings in his last 13 appearances. He has 26 strikeouts in 26.1 innings for the Aces this season, with nine coming in his last seven innings.

Of course, it hasn't been an easy road for Jameson, who missed all of 2024 after having Tommy John surgery. Injuries and underperformance have continued to plague him since, with just three major league appearances since 2023.

"Sometimes it doesn't work out the way you want it to. You get up here, you think you're gonna stay for the rest of your life, and then there's some bumps in the road," Lovullo said. "It hasn't been easy for him, and that's why these are good moments. When you shake hands with him and say congratulations, it means a little bit more."

"We've had a long, long runway with him, and this is a great opportunity for him to show us where he's at."

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