D-backs recall Drey Jameson to stabilize bullpen as offense remains a question

The Arizona Diamondbacks brought back Drey Jameson with the bullpen in mind, recalling the right-hander after a difficult relief appearance by Kade Strowd. In Saturday’s 6-1 loss to the Washington Nationals at Chase Field, Jameson was used in the ninth inning and allowed two runs on two hits while walking two, with one strikeout, in one inning of work. The recall underscores how quickly late-inning pitching has become a roster management issue for Arizona, which is still trying to find consistent game-to-game offensive footing.

Jameson’s path to this moment has been anything but direct. First reaching the majors in September 2022, he made four starts and posted a 3-0 record with a 1.48 ERA, before moving to the bullpen out of spring training in 2023. His progress has been repeatedly interrupted, including right elbow damage that led to Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2024 season, followed by additional injury and command issues that left him with just three major league relief appearances and 16 games in the minors in 2025. Even so, the Diamondbacks kept working toward this return, and Jameson, now 28, is attempting to re-establish himself in the majors specifically as a reliever.

According to Jameson’s comments in the team release, his adjustment is not just about having the “stuff,” but about executing the simplest part of bullpen pitching. He described the recovery period as both physical and mental, reflecting on the ups and downs of staying ready, and emphasized that earning major league opportunities now requires throwing strikes more reliably. In his one-inning outing against Washington, the walk total was a reminder of what still needs to click for him to hold a spot.

The bigger season question is whether Arizona’s offense can create enough cushion for its pitching staff, especially when late-game leads are not guaranteed. As of Sunday, June 7, the Diamondbacks are 33-31 and sit in third place in the NL West. They have scored 278 runs and allowed 292, a run differential of minus 14, and they enter the day 0.5 games behind the wild-card pace per MLB’s standings snapshot. That combination suggests a team that can hang around, but one that has struggled to consistently separate from opponents over the full course of games.

Two key rehab storylines are tied directly to that need for lineup stability. Jordan Lawlar has been on the 60-day injured list since a wrist fracture early in 2026, and is now moving closer to a return. Sports Illustrated’s team coverage reported that Lawlar recently made the jump to Triple-A after rehabbing in the Arizona Complex League, and that he played eight innings for the Reno Aces in his most recent Friday game, going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and a walk. The same report said Lawlar made a diving catch and came out of the game feeling good, framing the outing as a positive step in both the health and hitting departments.

A.J. Puk’s recovery has also been treated as a work in progress rather than a straight-line comeback. Sports Illustrated reported that in his second Triple-A rehab appearance, Puk ran into trouble in an offense-heavy environment by allowing two runs in 0.2 innings on 24 pitches. The report stressed that even with the inning outcome, his velocity was encouraging, topping out near 96 mph and playing close to the range expected from a healthy arm. The implication for Arizona is clear: if both Lawlar and Puk can return to their roles soon, the Diamondbacks’ roster construction can shift away from constant bullpen patchwork and toward a lineup that can provide steadier run production. The immediate watch is whether Jameson can keep earning his way into longer bullpen responsibilities, and whether Lawlar and Puk can progress without setbacks as Arizona plays the Nationals again on Sunday, June 7.