Arizona closer Paul Sewald, whose acquisition at the trade deadline in 2023 helped spur the Diamondbacks to the National League pennant and a World Series berth, will open the season on the injured list with a strained left oblique.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Monday that Sewald, 33, has a Grade 2 sprain which could keep the right-hander out for six to eight weeks.
"We're going to miss Paul," Lovullo said, according to the Arizona Republic. "It's time for somebody to step up. That's what happens in this game all the time."
Arizona obtained Sewald from the Seattle Mariners on July 31, and he finished 16 of 20 games, going 0-1 with a 3.57 ERA, 13 saves in 15 chances, 10 walks and 20 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings.
Sewald recorded two saves in each National League playoff series against the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies while sporting a 0.00 ERA over a total of eight innings in eight games as the wild-card Diamondbacks advanced to the World Series, where they lost to the Texas Rangers.
For his career, Sewald has played for the New York Mets (2017-20), Mariners (2021-23) and Diamondbacks, and has a 19-23 record with 68 saves, a 4.06 ERA, 116 walks and 407 strikeouts in 336 2/3 innings over 317 games (no starts).
Arizona could now turn to right-hander Kevin Ginkel, who with right-hander Ryan Thompson was a key set-up reliever last season, but Lovullo said he isn't committing to a closer right now.
"I like to build the game backwards from the ninth inning," he told the Arizona Republic. "... I would like to have somebody step up and be the lockdown ninth-inning guy, but I don't want to make that decision and then have to back out of it. I want to let something evolve and go in that direction."
The Diamondbacks also will be without left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (lat strain) and outfielder Randal Grichuk (ankle), both on the injured list to start the season.
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