Diamondbacks DFA Struggling Reliever, Call Up Righty from Triple-A

On Saturday, the Arizona Diamondbacks designated right-hand reliever Tayler Scott for assignment, the team announced.

In a corresponding move, right-hander John Curtiss has been called up from Triple-A Reno.

Diamondbacks Designate Tayler Scott for Assignment

Scott, 33, signed with the Diamondbacks in late May after being designated for assignment by the Houston Astros.

Bullpen injuries had begun to pile up for Arizona, and they turned to Scott to provide depth and potential length. He was called up from Triple-A on June 10, but was never able to find his footing in the majors.

Scott pitched to a 9.00 ERA in his time with the D-backs, making just six appearances and pitching nine innings, allowing nine earned runs in that time. He picked up one hold.

Scott was asked to go beyond one inning four times in his six appearances, and only managed two scoreless appearances in his desert tenure. On Friday night, Scott was hit around by the hot-hitting Miami Marlins, who recorded five base hits (including two home runs), leading to three earned runs.

The three runs Scott surrendered did end up making a difference, as the D-backs went on to score three in the ninth inning, losing 9-8. Scott's season ERA has jumped to 6.66.

If Scott clears waivers, he may remain with the organization, but it's unlikely that Arizona will turn to him for any bullpen solutions in the future, barring further injuries.

Diamondbacks Call Up Right-hander John Curtiss

Curtiss, meanwhile, was signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league Spring Training in the offseason.

The veteran righty has provided length for the Reno Aces, frequently going beyond just one inning of work. He's thrown to a 6.34 ERA in Triple-A, although that number may be inflated by the high-scoring offensive environment that is the Pacific Coast League. He's struck out 28 against nine walks in 32.2 innings.

Curtiss spoke to Diamondbacks On SI's Jack Sommers on Saturday, and said he was surprised by his call-up.

"[Jeff Gardner], the Triple-A manager, called me into the office and he just asked me if I had an opt-out coming up July 1. I said, 'Yeah.' He said, 'Well you don't need it, you're going up.' And then I went up.

"I wasn't particularly expecting to get called up. You always hope so. We played two good games, Tuesday and Wednesday, and kind of scuffled a little bit yesterday and the day before," Curtiss said.

Curtiss last pitched in the majors in 2024 as a member of the Colorado Rockies, though that was a very short stint. He threw just 2.1 innings for Colorado in three appearances and gave up four runs.

Curtiss leans on a high-velo slider as his primary pitch, with a fastball that can reach the 94 MPH range. He also throws an occasional cutter.

Curtiss is not expected to come in and immediately give the Diamondbacks leverage innings. Most likely, Arizona is simply looking for some length in middle innings — the role Scott had been in previously.

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