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Ahead of their series finale against the San Francisco Giants, the Arizona Diamondbacks have called up former first-round pick Slade Cecconi.

Cecconi made his MLB debut last year in August, starting four games and coming out of the bullpen in three others. He concluded the 2023 season with a 4.33 ERA across 27 innings.

Starting this year in Triple-A, Cecconi has excelled early on with the Reno Aces. His latest start occurred on April 17th, where he pitched six innings, striking out six batters, and allowing only one earned run. In his first start of the season, he threw five shutout innings, leading the Aces to a 4-2 victory over the Aviators.

In response to Cecconi’s call-up, the Diamondbacks have sent down 22-year-old right-handed pitcher Justin Martinez, who was recently brought up after the Diamondbacks placed Eduardo Rodriguez on the 60-day IL.

Martinez has appeared twice this season, allowing no runs in three innings of work. However, control has been an issue, as he walked four batters during this time. Martinez possesses a fastball that averages above 100 MPH.

The Diamondbacks aim to split their four-game series against the Giants with Merrill Kelly on the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM.

This article first appeared on Burn City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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