PHOENIX — Typically, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo calls one or two of his starting pitchers into his office at a time if they need to have a conversation.
Amidst a brutal couple of turns through the rotation, Lovullo had all five of his starting pitchers meet in his office on what needs to improve.
“Really, the main theme was putting the ball on the plate, eliminate the walks,” Lovullo said on Tuesday. “We talk about not compounding things by eliminating a free pass and make them hit their way on. It goes all the way back to little league. Throw strikes, make them hit their way on. Walks are as good as hits.”
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Over the past six games (from Sunday to Sunday), entering Tuesday, Diamondbacks starters have walked as many hitters as they have struck out, with 19 each in 26.1 innings.
Their 2.24 WHIP in that span easily paced the rest of the league, as too much traffic on the bases has led to the dam breaking too often. The club has a 1-5 record in those games.
Lovullo expressed typical optimism that this will get turned around based on the caliber of pitchers that make up the starting five. These are experienced arms, not youngsters feeling their way.
“We’ve got to be better. We’ve challenged them, we’ve told them that they’re the right group, they’re experienced, they know exactly what they’ve got to get to, and in my opinion, it’s a matter of time before they turn it around,” Lovullo said.
Diamondbacks updates on Jordan Lawlar, Carlos Santana and Tyler Locklear
Diamondbacks first baseman Carlos Santana is two games into a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno after working his way back onto the field from an adductor strain. Lovullo said Santana will get a couple more starts for the Aces, and the club will see how he is feeling at the end of the week.
Fellow first baseman Tyler Locklear (elbow and shoulder surgeries) has been playing games at Salt River Fields, and the plan is to get him into Reno’s lineup later this week.
Outfielder Jordan Lawlar is putting in work where he can without using his fractured right wrist. The plan is to get a bat in his hands in about two weeks, Lovullo said. He is on the 60-day injured list and cannot return until early June.
First baseman Pavin Smith is expected to start taking dry swings next week. Smith is also on the 60-day IL and cannot come back until late May at the earliest.
Pitcher Cristian Mena started his throwing program in the past couple of weeks (teres major strain) and is throwing out to 105 feet.
Pitchers Corbin Burnes and A.J. Puk (elbow surgeries) both continued throwing bullpens at Chase Field on Tuesday.
Brandyn Garcia taking pressure off
The Diamondbacks did not have a lefty in their bullpen when they hit the road for Mexico City nearly two weeks ago. Since then, they’ve had two, with Brandyn Garcia currently holding the distinction as the bullpen’s lone southpaw.
A lack of strike-throwing kept him off the team out of spring training, as Garcia went to Triple-A to iron out his control.
His walks remained somewhat high, but he managed to keep runs off the board and received his recall last week.
In discussing what happened, Garcia was pretty clear on what he felt held him back this spring.
“Just more reps. That was my thing, was like taking the pressure out of it. I think in spring training, I was putting way too much pressure on myself, trying to make the team, like trying to be this guy that I wasn’t in a way,” Garcia said. “So now it’s just going back to being myself and just attacking the zone.”
Garcia threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no walks in his season debut on Friday.
Brandyn Garcia felt that he put too much pressure on himself to make the team in spring training. pic.twitter.com/jT6L8SFMfS
— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) May 6, 2026
Minor league awards
The Diamondbacks named their farm system’s monthly award winners, a good way to keep tabs on who is standing out to the organization in the minor leagues.
Infielder Jose Mejia (Single-A Visalia) won the Player of the Month, while Yilber Diaz (Triple-A Reno) won Pitcher of the Month.
Mejia, who came to Arizona from Baltimore in the Blaze Alexander trade this past offseason, is batting .342 for Visalia with three home runs, five doubles and 22 walks in 24 games played entering Tuesday. The 20-year-old has also logged innings at four positions, mostly at third base and second base.
Diaz, who has eight major league games of experience, has worked exclusively as a reliever since making the change from starting last season, and he is off to a productive start. In 15.2 innings for the Aces, Diaz has a 1.15 ERA with 22 strikeouts to seven walks. He has picked up where he left off in winter ball, where he collected six saves with a 1.08 ERA in Venezuela.
The affiliate winners went as follows:
Triple-A: OF Ryan Waldschmidt and RHP Yilber Diaz
Double-A: INF Manuel Pena, RHP Antonio Menendez
High-A: C Alberto Barriga, RHP Junior Sanchez
Single-A: INF Jose Mejia, RHP Junior Ciprian
Pena won the Texas League Player of the Month after hitting nine home runs with 21 RBIs.
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