Things were going so well for J.J. Putz for so long. At the end of May, the Diamondbacks closer had 16 saves and a 1.57 ERA, with nearly a strikeout an inning. In June, though, he's allowed eight runs in 11-2/3 innings, with four blown saves. So maybe this doesn't come as a huge shock:
J.J. Putz Injury: Diamondbacks Closer On DL With Elbow Problem
Dbacks place closer J.J. Putz on DL and activate RHP Sam Demel from DL.
Putz is on the DL with elbow tendinitis. The Diamondbacks don’t think it’s a big problem, and Putz has already had a cortisone shot, but one can never be too sure, considering Putz has a pretty significant track record of elbow issues. He could be back after the All-Star break, but he could also take longer than that.
Demel returns to a 1.72 ERA over 21 appearances earlier in the year. The favorite for saves during Putz's absence, though, is probably David Hernandez, who has 41 strikeouts and 22 walks over 37 innings. Hernandez was part of the offseason Mark Reynolds trade, and so far he's been a big reason why the Diamondbacks bullpen is so much better than it was a year ago.
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