D-backs Lose Another Starting Pitcher to Season-Ending Surgery

The Diamondbacks' rotation depth took another hit, as another starter is headed for elbow surgery. Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters, including Just Baseball's Patrick Lyons, that left-hander Tommy Henry is headed for Tommy John surgery.

Diamondbacks' Tommy Henry Will Have Season-Ending Surgery

Henry, 27, becomes the sixth Arizona pitcher, and fourth starting pitcher, to undergo season-ending elbow surgery this season. Cristian Mena, the team's top-ranked pitching prospect, suffered a teres major strain earlier this month.

As a result of the injuries, their starting pitching depth has considerably thinned out. Once considered a strength at the start of the season, they have just six healthy starting pitchers on their 40-man roster at the time of this writing. That, in turn, could have a drastic impact on what direction the team goes at next month's trade deadline.

This isn't the first time Henry has dealt with an elbow injury. He was shelved by elbow inflammation in 2023, knocking him out for the final two months of the regular season plus the entire postseason. He came back to pitch live sessions for a workout day during the NLCS but was never activated.

Since the start of the 2024 season, Henry has been up and down from Triple-A Reno. He's filled in both as a starter and a long reliever out of the bullpen. He pitched two games of relief in 2025, allowing three runs in 6.2 innings. In 37 appearances, 32 of them starts, Henry has a career ERA of 5.07.

His last start came on June 10, while on an optional assignment with Reno, before getting placed on the minor league 7-day injured list with an elbow injury. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo revealed just a few days later that Henry was seeking a second opinion on his elbow MRI.

Entering play on June 20, the Diamondbacks' current starting five are Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodríguez, Brandon Pfaadt, and Ryne Nelson. Bryce Jarvis is the only other available starting pitcher on the 40-man roster. Dylan Ray, Yu-Min Lin, and Spencer Giesting are all starting in Triple-A but have a combined 15 starts at that level.

The injury further underscores the need for the Diamondbacks to acquire organizational pitching depth, regardless of their status as buyers or sellers. As buyers, they would target more established arms to strengthen their rotation for this season. As sellers, they would look for prospects at the Double-A level or higher, bolstering their future depth.

Going beyond this season, the Diamondbacks have their work cut out to piece together their 2026 rotation. With Burnes, Walston, and Henry all likely unavailable on Opening Day while they recover from surgery, they'll have to find more options in the trade market or free agency. Their projected starting rotation next season is Rodríguez, Nelson, Pfaadt, Jarvis, and Mena.

With their organizational pitching depth compromised, the question then turns to whether or not the Diamondbacks should go all-in in 2025 or begin focusing on building for 2026.

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