A.J. Puk Ready For Playoff Push with Arizona Diamondbacks

PHOENIX — It doesn’t matter the role in the bullpen. A.J. Puk is just glad to have exchanged South Beach for the desert … and the Arizona Diamondbacks are just as thrilled to have him change locations as well.

After being acquired by the Diamondbacks from the Miami Marlins in a Thursday deal that our Renee Dechert broke down very well here, Puk finally made his presence felt on Saturday, taking over in the eighth inning of Arizona’s 9-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Helping Arizona to its fourth straight win, Puk struck out the first batter he faced, Andrew McCutchen, as part of a scoreless inning in his Diamondbacks debut.

The blank frame marked the 15th straight scoreless appearance for Puk (17.2 innings) since June 19.

“I think what he showed us tonight is what he can be and that’s certainly what we’re hoping he can do for us later in the year and on this stretch that we’re trying to produce,” said Arizona starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt, who went 6.0 innings and earned the win despite giving up five runs.

A 29-year-old southpaw, Puk is a new weapon for Torey Lovullo and the Diamondbacks in the game’s last stages, joining Joe Mantiply as left-handed relief options.

“I know it’s hard to walk into a new clubhouse and getting to know teammates can be a little stressful but, in time, it will all slow down for him,” Lovullo said. “I just want to make sure that I welcome him to the group and allow him to be as comfortable as possible. Just getting him to be himself every single day is the most important thing.”

Lovullo noted how Puk has “been coming on very strongly since he’s been converted from a starter to reliever,” the new acquisition said he will fit in wherever he is needed in the bullpen.

“Just however they want to use me and I’m good for it,” Puk said about his role with his new team before the game. “I’m just happy to be here. I just want to contribute and win.”

Winning is something that Miami did last season as the Marlins advanced to face the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Wild Card round. In his first career postseason appearance, Puk logged a scoreless inning, allowing one hit while also registering a strikeout.

“It was great. Up in Philly, their fans are pretty wild. It was a fun atmosphere for sure,” Puk said. “It feels good to make the playoffs and I’m looking forward to doing that here.”

How they use Puk and his effectiveness could well be one of the keys for the Diamondbacks to get back to the postseason. In the midst of a quest for the Wild Card, this season is shaping up to be a similar run for Arizona as it was in 2023.

Last season, the Diamondbacks couldn’t catch the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and had to settle for the Wild Card spot. However, it worked out fine for Arizona as it advanced to the World Series.

With Puk, Lovullo expects him to be a part of a back end of the bullpen that will help them win an close out games.

“He’ll be in the back end and there are times that could be a one-run down situation,” Lovullo said. “I’ve used all of our back end relievers in those situations because I felt like there was a need. I want them in a positive role, clearly a positive role late in the game to help us win baseball games.”

The addition of Puk also has a bit of deja vu in the desert. Last season also saw the Diamondbacks bolster their bullpen at the trade deadline, swapping for Paul Sewald as part of a four-player deal with the Seattle Mariners. With all of that in mind, this season is feeling familiar for the Diamondbacks.

“It’s the same way as last year,” Lovullo said of his team having to compete with so many others for a spot in the Wild Card round. “I think we were once 15 games over .500 and then all of a sudden we got to five under. It became real. We had to dig in and dig deep. That’s why I think this team is functioning the way it is. We’ve been down this road before and we know what it feels like.”