The Arizona Diamondbacks have designated veteran outfielder Jesus Sanchez for assignment, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters at Petco Park in San Diego , following Arizona's 11-4 win over the Padres on Friday night.
Lovullo suggested the team will call up a catcher to fill Sanchez's roster spot on Saturday once the move is made official. This is due to starting catcher Gabriel Moreno leaving Friday night's game early with what Lovullo called a "tender left hamstring."
Moreno is penciled in to the lineup Saturday at DH, and Lovullo said Moreno is not going to be a part of said roster move - meaning no IL transaction. Moreno is not expected to have imaging as of this writing, and Lovullo described his concern as "minimal."
"I think he's gutted out a lot this year and I know that he's hungry to continue having a great season and help us win games, so I think he's going to be in the lineup in some capacity," Lovullo said.
Moreno, with his 2-for-3 night, took hold of the lead for the National League batting title, hitting .311 in a breakout season.
Triple-A Reno's catcher depth consists of Adrian Del Castillo , who is a left-handed DH option similar to Sanchez, as well as veterans Matt O'Neill and Aramis Garcia . Christian Cerda, a 23-year-old prospect, is a more unlikely option.
But for now, Arizona is parting ways with one of its attempted righty-mashing DH solutions.
Sep 15, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter Jesus Sanchez hits a single in the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sanchez was claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays back on September 14. The Diamondbacks pounced, hoping to turn him into a weapon against right-handed pitching .
That was Sanchez's calling-card at the time. For his career, he has a 111 wRC+ and .771 OPS against righties.
Unfortunately, Sanchez was simply not effective for Arizona. He appeared in just six games after he was claimed, going 2-for-15 with a pair of singles, one walk and five strikeouts.
It was a very small sample size, but he was not able to provide an offensive spark, and his lack of outfield defense limited him to DH appearances only. It would appear, going forward, that it will be either Pavin Smith or - should he be the addition - Del Castillo taking those at-bats.
Sanchez is hitting .254/.311/.401 with a .712 OPS and eight homers on the whole of the 2026 season. He is not eligible to be added to any team's postseason roster, barring an injury exception.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi as Diamondbacks DFA Jesus Sanchez After Minor Gabriel Moreno Injury .
