The Arizona Diamondbacks placed top pitching prospect on the injured list Tuesday with a shoulder sprain, ruling out a September call-up, a team source confirmed.
The injury isn’t expected to impact his 2026 season. Arizona picked up the 25-year-old lefty at the trade deadline as one of three pitching prospects sent over by the Texas Rangers in exchange for Merrill Kelly.
In his most recent Triple-A outing last Wednesday, Drake tossed four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts — his fourth game since the trade. Initially placed on the development list for workload management, further evaluation revealed the shoulder sprain that ends his year.
MLB Pipeline ranks Drake No. 7 among Arizona’s top 30 prospects, the highest-rated pitcher in the system. The D-backs also landed lefty Mitch Bratt (Double-A) and righty David Hagaman (High-A) from Texas in the Kelly deal.
With rosters expanding Monday, teams can add an extra pitcher. For now, Arizona has journeyman Nabil Crismatt filling out the rotation. If they want another young arm, Dylan Ray and Spencer Giesting are both available in Triple-A.
Ryan Thompson begins rehab assignment
Diamondbacks reliever Ryan Thompson (scapular strain) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno on Tuesday.
He faced live hitters Friday at Chase Field and is now just one step away from rejoining Arizona’s bullpen.
Before landing on the IL, the veteran was in peak form, giving up only one earned run across 14.1 innings, dropping his ERA to 4.45 after a rocky start to the season.
Thompson hasn’t pitched for Arizona since July 4, yet still ranks fourth on the team with 36 appearances—a reflection of both his heavy usage and the bullpen’s instability this year.
Bryce Jarvis saw Monday’s performance as opportunity
Pitcher Bryce Jarvis threw 5.2 innings of two-run relief on Monday against the Brewers, hoping the outing highlighted his ability to handle a longer workload in the majors.
While Jarvis has primarily pitched out of Arizona’s bullpen this season (4.05 ERA), he has logged more starts at Triple-A and still views himself as better suited for a rotation role. At the same time, he values showing versatility.
“It was a big chance to prove I can handle 90 pitches and go five-plus innings,” Jarvis told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Tuesday. “Hopefully one day that’s from the first inning instead of the third.”
With Arizona’s rotation picture unsettled both for the stretch run and into next year, Jarvis is one of several players essentially auditioning for a spot.
“Every time you get the ball, it’s a chance to prove yourself,” Jarvis said. “There’s definitely extra importance the rest of the season.”
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