Diamondbacks' Cristian Mena: Placed on minor-league IL
Rotowire
Mena was placed on the minor-league 7-day injured list with a right forearm strain Tuesday, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.
Mena won't throw for the next eight weeks according to Arizona's farm director Shaun Larkin, likely bringing his 2024 season to an end. The right-hander will finish the year having produced a 4.61 ERA and 1.54 WHIP with 102 strikeouts over 95.2 innings in 19 starts with Triple-A Reno. Additionally, he made his major-league debut July 3 on the road versus the Dodgers, giving up four runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two batters over three innings.
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Diamondbacks' Cristian Mena: Optioned after debut
Rotowire
Mena was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Thursday.
The move back to Triple-A comes after Mena struggled in his big-league debut Wednesday night. He allowed four runs in three innings, but all four runs came in the first inning. In a corresponding move, Joe Jacques was recalled from Triple-A Reno on Thursday.
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Diamondbacks' Cristian Mena: Struggles in debut
Rotowire
Mena did not factor into the decision in a win over the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks over three innings while striking out two.
Mena got off to a brutal start, allowing the first two batters to reach before surrendering back-to-back home runs in the opening frame. The right-hander then hurled two scoreless frames before being relieved by Bryce Jarvis to open the fourth, though the former also issued two walks over that final stretch, in addition to being charged with a balk. It was an uninspiring debut for the 21-year-old Mena, though perhaps Arizona will take it with a grain of salt considering the lineup he was up against in his first major-league start.
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Diamondbacks' Cristian Mena: Likely starter for Wednesday
Rotowire
Mena has joined the Diamondbacks' taxi squad and appears in line to make his major-league debut Wednesday against the Dodgers, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Manager Torey Lovullo acknowledged Mena's presence in the clubhouse Tuesday and said that "if that does come up [Wednesday], [Mena] deserves the opportunity," per PHNX Diamondbacks. Mena is a 21-year-old right-hander who was traded to Arizona over the winter. He has spent the entire 2024 season to date with Triple-A Reno, posting a 4.90 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 89:38 K:BB over 82.2 innings spanning 16 starts. A road matchup against the Dodgers represents a tough landing spot, and most will want to wait and see how the youngster fares before considering him for a fantasy roster.
