Arizona Diamondbacks vs San Diego Padres: Rookie reliever needs back surgery

Jun 15, 2025 - 04:00

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Arizona Diamondbacks vs San Diego Padres: Rookie reliever needs back surgery

Right-hander Christian Montes de Oca will undergo surgery on his lower back, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said on Saturday, June 14, a procedure that could sideline him for the remainder of the season.

It is an unexpected development for the Diamondbacks’ rookie reliever, who landed on the injured list earlier this week with right elbow inflammation. Apparently, Montes de Oca had been dealing with both issues in recent weeks.

“It’s something that’s been lingering, something that’s been bothering him since spring training,” Lovullo said of the back injury. “He’s been trying to manage, and it became a little bit too unmanageable over the last couple of weeks.”

Lovullo described the procedure as relating to Montes de Oca’s “lower lumbar,” but did not know specifics beyond that.

Montes de Oca, 25, had made just one appearance this season – the first of his big league career – in which he fired 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief against the Cincinnati Reds on June 7.

Tommy Henry lands on Reno IL

Left-hander Tommy Henry, one of the Diamondbacks’ depth starting pitchers, landed on the Triple-A Reno injured list on Friday with left elbow tightness, general manager Mike Hazen said.

The club does not yet have a full diagnosis on the injury as Henry is seeking a second opinion.

Henry is just the latest Diamondbacks pitcher to go down with an arm injury this season, a collection of pitchers that includes Corbin Burnes, A.J. Puk, Justin Martinez, Blake Walston, Jordan Montgomery, Cristian Mena and Drey Jameson.

Henry had made only two appearances in the majors for the Diamondbacks this season, giving up three runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Padres at Diamondbacks, 4:15 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34

Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (4-8, 5.15) vs. Padres RHP Ryan Bergert (1-0, 1.26).

At Chase Field: Gallen had another uneven start last weekend, this time against the Cincinnati Reds, who scored four times off him in 6⅔ innings. In fairness to Gallen, he had given up two runs in six innings before allowing a single followed by a two-run homer to 2B Matt McLain with two out in the seventh inning. … Still, over his past six starts, he owns a 6.17 ERA in 35 innings. … Gallen has a 3.16 ERA in his career against the Padres. He did not face them last year but logged a 1.78 ERA in four starts against them in 2023. … Bergert was a sixth-round pick by the Padres in 2021 out of West Virginia. He gradually worked his way through the Padres system, reaching Triple-A this year. He moved into the rotation earlier this month, not long after RHP Michael King landed on the injured list. … He has thrown well in both of his starts, giving up a combined two runs in 10⅓innings. … He averages 93-94 mph with his fastball. He also throws a pair of breaking balls and the occasional change-up.