Diamondbacks outright Andrew Knizner to Reno, release Dylan Floro

Diamondbacks catcher Andrew Knizner has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Reno. Knizner was designated for assignment on Saturday to make room for left-hander Brandon Hughes. Additionally, the club has released right-hander Dylan Floro after designating him for assignment on Sunday.

Knizner, 28, was claimed by the Diamondbacks off waivers on August 8 in the wake of the Gabriel Moreno injury. With Moreno healthy again, the team will move forward with him as the starter and José Herrera as the backup. Rookie Adrian Del Castillo was optioned to Triple-A Reno to work on his defense.

Knizner is 10 days short of reaching five years of service time, so had he chosen free agency it would have required forfeiting the remainder of his $1.825 million salary for 2024. He has the option to opt for free agency after the season with more than three years of service time. His path to the Diamondbacks roster is narrow, as he’s the fourth catcher in the organization’s depth chart behind Moreno, Herrera, and Del Castillo.

Floro, 33, pitched to a 9.37 ERA in 15 appearances with Arizona after getting picked up at the trade deadline. A soft contact merchant due to late life and solid command, his sinker lost velocity and lacked any life to it, and it got hit hard. Opponents hit .333 with a .953 OPS against Floro in Arizona. With an unsettled bullpen, he found himself expendable due to the lack of effectiveness.