Young Diamondbacks Pitcher Suffers Surprise Shoulder Injury

A tough blow to Arizona's pitching depth.

Apr 28, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Andrew Hoffmann (56) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks will be down one of their depth options in the relief department.

Right-handed reliever Andrew Hoffmann has suffered a lat strain, and has been placed on the minor league injured list, a source confirms to Diamondbacks On SI. Hoffmann had not appeared in a game since June 5.

Diamondbacks' Andrew Hoffmann suffers lat strain

Mar 31, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Andrew Hoffmann (56) makes the play against the Detroit Tigers in the seventh inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

As of this writing, there is no concrete timeline for Hoffmann's expected return. A lat strain can be as insignificant as a few weeks, though that specific type of injury can also lead to a multi-month down period, as evidenced by Eduardo Rodriguez's four-month absence in the 2024 season.

Hoffmann, 26, was Arizona's return prize in the trade that sent outfielder Randal Grichuk to the Kansas City Royals at the 2025 Trade Deadline. Hoffmann has been an intriguing arm, with a 95-plus MPH fastball and a diving changeup.

He's been very effective at times, but that's been punctuated with poor outings, as well. Hoffmann made the Diamondbacks' major league club coming out of spring training, and pitched to a 2.38 ERA over his first seven appearances.

And then, he ran into a Brewers buzzsaw that tagged him for an eye-popping seven earned runs in 0.1 innings. That shot his ERA up to 7.71, and he was sent back to Reno following that rough game.

Hoffmann has pitched to a 6.08 ERA in Reno, which is closer to average than abysmal in the offense-heavy Pacific Coast League, where the average ERA is 5.87. He has gone without an earned run in nine of his 12 Triple-A appearances, and gave up all nine of his earned runs in 2.2 of his 13.1 innings for the Aces.

With Arizona's bullpen performing at a somewhat surprisingly successful clip, Hoffmann was not exactly banging on the door of a return to the majors. But relief depth is always important, and the right-hander is capable of throwing multiple innings. If his timeline is lengthy, that will hurt Arizona's depth pool as the season grows long and arms start to tire.

Positive update on Diamondbacks' Mitch Bratt update

Feb 18, 2026; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Mitch Bratt (60) poses for a photo for MLB media day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

On the more positive end of the health update spectrum, left-hander and No. 14 prospect Mitch Bratt is "doing well" and moving toward a return "very soon."

Bratt, who was part of the Merrill Kelly trade with the Texas Rangers in 2025, had been dominating the Pacific Coast League at an unbelievable clip for Reno, but was placed on the IL with inflammation in his back. It did not appear to be a serious injury at the time.

Bratt has a 2.68 ERA and 3.55 expected ERA for the Aces this season. The 22-year-old could very well force his way into an MLB debut sooner than later if he keeps up this pace.