Diamondbacks Newest Reliever Introduces Himself

Hoffmann spoke with the media at Chase Field prior to the D-backs' matchup against the Padres on Monday.

"I'm super excited," Hoffmann said. "Mike [Hazen] called me on Saturday when I got traded and, initially it's like, 'Oh, I've got to move my life around now.'

"Once you really settle in after a couple of minutes, it's like a new opportunity. I'm excited to be here with these guys and get to compete. ... Every time you're wanted by somebody else, it's always a positive thing."

Hoffmann said he was caught off guard by the call.

"I didn't know initially what it was. I thought potentially, maybe going back to the big leagues, and then it was, 'Hey, we traded you to the Diamondbacks, so I was like, 'Oh, alright.' So I packed my stuff up and go to a new place."

Hoffmann said he's already familiar with Arizona, as he and his fiancee have lived in the state the past two offseasons.

"When I called her and told her, she was like, 'Oh my god, we get to live at home,' and I'm like, 'Yeah, it's awesome.' We've rented the past couple years, and we really do enjoy Arizona a lot," Hoffmann said.

The right-hander comes with a fastball, changeup and slider. The changeup is a relatively new offering for him.

"The changeup is a big thing that I wanted to do [in the] offseason last year. It's worked extremely well this year and I'm excited to keep doing it," Hoffmann said.

Hoffmann threw to an excellent 2.25 ERA over 40 innings in Triple-A with the Royals' organization. He made two scoreless appearances for the Reno Aces before getting the swift call to the majors.

He made his initial MLB debut on May 30 with the Royals. He's pitched just 4.2 major league innings this season, giving up two earned runs on seven hits while striking out five.

Manager Torey Lovullo said he met Hoffmann for the first time on Monday.

"He came into the clubhouse around 12:00, 12:30," Lovullo said. "I remember him pitching against us, so I knew what he looked like.

"He comes in, and it's just a normal introduction. Like you're meeting a new business partner... So I have a very typical spiel that I give them. What's important to you is important to me. Be the best version of yourself."

Hoffmann is the latest of Arizona's recently-acquired young players to get his first chance with the big league club.

"Those are all guys that at some point you're going to see here every single day. If they're not here, and if they are, they're going to be learning as they are right in front of us," Lovullo said.

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