Diamondbacks left-hander Andrew Saalfrank has shoulder surgery, will miss all of 2026

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed pitcher Andrew Saalfrank will miss the season after shoulder surgery, the team confirmed on Monday.

The 28-year-old was expected to be an important part of the team's bullpen after compiling a 1.24 ERA over 28 appearances last season. The Diamondbacks did not say how Saalfrank got hurt, adding manager Torey Lovullo will address the injury on Tuesday.

It's another hit for the pitching staff, which already is without relievers A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez, along with ace starter Corbin Burnes, for the first few months of the season. All three are recovering from elbow surgery and hope to be back during the summer.

Saalfrank called the surgery a “tough pill to swallow” on social media, adding that “the game of baseball can be a brutal one, but it's also given me some of the best moments of my life, and I don't expect that to change moving forward.”

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