Diamondbacks Add Left-Handed Reliever

0:00On April 30th, the Arizona Diamondbacks just plugged the big hole in their bullpen by calling a left-hander Phillip Abner their first South Power Leaver. This season, over a month into 2026, they optioned righty Andrew Hoffman to triple A Reno to make room. It's a move that's been brewing since spring training when they rolled without any lefties. Earlier this week, manager Tori LeVulo explained they got by using guys like Kevin Ginkel and Juan Marillo, who handled lefties well despite the mismatch. He said it worked okay because the pen threw strikes and attacked hitters without getting pushed around. Fans and the team have been feeling the gap, especially against tough left-on-left spots, but LeVulo always dreamed of one or two lefties for that. Perfect mix. Now with Abner, they've got platoon options to keep opposing lefty bats on the bench. This 23-year-old debuted last year after a quick climb from high A, tossing in five games with a 4.91 ERA over 3.2 innings.

1:00His fastball sits low 90s, but he racks up strikeouts, fanning 70 and 58.2 minor league frames in 2025. He's solid so far in Reno this year. Abner brings that fresh versatility the D-backs craved, building on what he did down the stretch last season to help them grind out more wins from. Here on out. I'm Corey with the story that's your MLB news today update, AI-powered and always on.