A week after announcing closer Justin Martinez will undergo Tommy John surgery, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced Friday that A.J. Puk will undergo the same procedure.
The club opened the season with visions of Martinez, a right-hander, and the lefty Puk potentially sharing closer duties. Now, Puk — who has actually been out since April 18 — is the fourth member of the Diamondbacks’ staff set for major elbow surgery, joining starters Corbin Burnes and Jordan Montgomery.
What’s more, manager Torey Lovullo also announced that catcher Gabriel Moreno has a hairline fracture in his right (throwing) hand. The 25-year-old, who initially sustained the injury when hit by a foul tip on June 6, is expected to be out through the All-Star break. With minor league catcher Adrian Del Castillo dealing with back issues, both sides of the Arizona battery are facing serious depth issues.
Puk, 30, has a 3.38 ERA with four saves in as many opportunities in eight games this season. For his career, he is 17-20 with a 3.53 ERA and 26 saves.
Moreno is batting .278/.324/.414 in 53 games this season. He has five home runs and 20 RBIs. Arizona started Jose Herrera behind the plate at Colorado on Friday. Herrera has played in 30 games this season, taking on a larger role while Moreno tried to play through his injury.