Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Secures first career big-league win
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Cecconi (1-0) earned the win after he pitched six innings, allowing two runs on two hits while hitting a batter and striking out three in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Giants.
Cecconi was called up from Triple-A Reno ahead of Sunday's contest, securing his first career major-league win. The 24-year-old tossed 4.2 no-hit innings before Thairo Estrada notched a single and Mike Yastrzemski launched a two-run homer, accounting for all the damage on Cecconi's line. Cecconi may be asked to remain in Arizona's rotation for the time being with Merrill Kelly (shoulder) uncertain moving forward and if he gets another turn in the rotation, he tentatively lines up to pitch Saturday on the road versus Seattle.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Joins big club
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The Diamondbacks recalled Cecconi from Triple-A Reno on Sunday, and he will start against the Giants.
Cecconi was unable to make the big-league roster out of spring training. He had a good outing in his last start with Reno on April 16, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out six batters over six frames. Cecconi appeared in seven games for the Diamondbacks last season and posted a 4.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 20:4 K:BB over 27 innings. To make room for Cecconi, the Diamondbacks optioned right-hander Justin Martinez to Triple-A Reno. Cecconi will be thrown right into the fire, as he will start Sunday for Merrill Kelly (undisclosed).
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Could relieve in minors
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Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Monday that Cecconi will pitch "bulk innings" in the minors but stopped short of saying he would be a starter, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
The Diamondbacks plan to have Cecconi, who was optioned to minor-league camp Monday, be as versatile as possible at Triple-A Reno. Whether that be as a piggyback starter or straight multi-inning reliever, the organization views him as someone that can help the parent club if needed. There were concerns last season about Cecconi going through an order a third time, which suggests his best fit going forward will be in a bulk-inning role.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Misses out on Opening Day rotation
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The Diamondbacks optioned Cecconi to Triple-A Reno on Monday.
Cecconi's dismissal from big-league camp leaves Ryne Nelson, Tommy Henry and Bryce Jarvis as the likely candidates for the fifth and final spot in Arizona's Opening Day rotation. While making seven appearances (four starts) for the big club in 2023, Cecconi submitted a respectable 4.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 20:4 K:BB in 27 innings. He should open the upcoming season as a member of Reno's rotation and will likely be on the short list for a call-up if Arizona requires a spot starter or a pitcher capable of covering multiple innings out of the bullpen.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Makes second spring start
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Cecconi allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out one over two innings in Friday's spring start against the Reds.
Cecconi, who is among the group battling for the fifth starter job, may have fallen behind his main competitors, Tommy Henry and Ryne Nelson. One so-so spring outing shouldn't be the deciding factor, but both Henry (five scoreless innings) and Nelson (one run, five innings, 10 strikeouts) have been impressive early.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Looking to go deeper into games
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Cecconi walked one and struck out four over two hitless and scoreless innings in Sunday's spring start against the White Sox.
Cecconi, who made his spring debut, pitched as well as Tommy Henry and Ryne Nelson -- his main competitors for the final rotation spot -- did Friday and Saturday, respectively. Cecconi's main offseason focus was to refine his secondary offerings, which Arizona manager Torey Lovullo believes could lengthen the 24-year-old's outings. The right-hander appeared in seven games, four as a starter, for the Diamondbacks in 2023 and rarely faced batters a third time through. "Last year, I was very slider heavy," Cecconi said. "A lot of fastball/slider and the huge goal this offseason was to really develop a four pitch-mix," Cecconi said. Henry and Nelson are considered the leaders for the final rotation spot.
Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Doesn't make World Series roster
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Cecconi is not part of the Diamondbacks' World Series roster that was submitted Friday.
He took Jace Peterson's spot on the roster for the NLCS, but Arizona has decided to go back to 14 position players and 12 pitchers for the World Series. Cecconi threw two scoreless innings against the Phillies in the NLCS.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Added to NLCS roster
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Cecconi has been added to the Diamondbacks' NLCS roster.
Arizona has elected to add an extra arm to the bullpen for their series against the Phillies, with Cecconi taking Jace Peterson's spot. Cecconi held a 4.33 ERA and 20:4 K:BB over 27 innings covering four starts and three relief appearances for the Diamondbacks this season. He'll provide the bullpen with some length.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Heads back to Reno
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The Diamondbacks optioned Cecconi to Triple-A Reno on Monday.
Unless the Diamondbacks place another pitcher on the injured list during the final week of the season and recall him from the minors, Cecconi's 2023 campaign will come to a close. Over multiple stints with the big club this season, Cecconi covered 27 innings over seven appearances (four starts), pitching to a 4.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 20:4 K:BB.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Needed for bulk relief
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Cecconi allowed one run on three hits and struck out two over 2.2 innings in Friday's 7-1 loss to the Yankees.
Starter Brandon Pfaadt lasted 13 outs and 81 pitches, so Arizona needed bulk relief from Cecconi, who was called up after Miguel Castro was placed on the paternity list. Both Cecconi and Pfaadt had one thing in common; each pitcher was taken deep by Aaron Judge. Pfaadt was tagged twice. Cecconi will pitch out of the bullpen and gives the Diamondbacks length. In a mixed role at the major-league level, the right-hander has a 4.33 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 27 innings.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Recalled from Reno
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The Diamondbacks recalled Cecconi from Triple-A Reno on Friday.
Cecconi looks poised to work in long relief in his return to the 28-man roster. The 24-year-old has registered a 4.44 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB across his first 24.1 major-league innings (four starts, two relief appearances) this season.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Optioned to Triple-A
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Cecconi was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Monday.
Cecconi was roughed up by the Orioles over the weekend and now finds himself back in the minors. It's not clear what the Diamondbacks plan to do with his rotation spot, but Arizona could look to bring back Ryne Nelson, who has pitched well over his last three starts at Reno. Cecconi holds a 4.44 ERA and 18:4 K:BB over 24.2 innings in the majors this season.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Roughed up by Orioles
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Cecconi (0-1) took the loss against Baltimore on Saturday, allowing six runs on nine hits and no walks while striking out four batters over 3.1 innings.
Cecconi got through three frames without allowing a run but imploded in the fourth. Baltimore racked up seven straight one-out hits against the right-hander in the inning, including a pair of doubles and a Cedric Mullins three-run homer. Cecconi was tagged with six runs in the frame before he was pulled, equaling the amount of runs he had allowed over 21 major-league innings coming into the contest. His ERA jumped from 2.57 to 4.44 as a result, and this was also Cecconi's first defeat as a big leaguer. Assuming he sticks in the rotation, the rookie's next turn is tentatively lined up to come in Chicago against the Cubs next week.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Fans five in no-decision
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Cecconi allowed a run on three hits over 5.2 innings in Sunday's win over the Reds. He struck out five and did not factor in the decision.
Cecconi rolled through five scoreless frames before the Reds finally plated a run in the sixth inning. He's posted a 7:0 K:BB while giving up one run over his last 10.2 innings. The 24-year-old rookie is now sporting a 2.57 ERA across 21 MLB innings. Cecconi's next start is currently lined up to be at home against the Orioles.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Tosses five innings in bulk relief
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Cecconi allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out two batters over five innings while taking a no-decision as the primary pitcher against Texas on Monday.
Cecconi was originally slated to start the contest, but Arizona instead opted to go with Joe Mantiply as an opener. Cecconi came on in a scoreless game in the third inning and pitched well for the next five frames, yielding just one run on an Adolis Garcia homer in the seventh. The right-hander wasn't overpowering, notching just six swinging strikes and two punchouts, but he logged his longest outing as a big-leaguer through four appearances and made another strong impression. Cecconi has a 2.93 ERA and 1.04 WHIP through 15.1 frames as he makes his case to remain with the big club, though it's uncertain if the Diamondbacks will deploy him as a traditional starter or as a bulk reliever if they do keep him on the roster.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Not starting Monday after all
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Cecconi is no longer listed as the Diamondbacks' starting pitcher for Monday's game against the Rangers, as Arizona will instead deploy Joe Mantiply as its opening pitcher, Jody Jackson of Bally Sports Arizona reports.
Unless Arizona demotes him to Triple-A Reno prior to Monday's contest, Cecconi should still be the main candidate to cover the bulk of the innings for the Diamondbacks, albeit out of the bullpen rather than as a traditional starter. Through his first three big-league outings, Cecconi owns a 3.48 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 10.1 innings, but those numbers are backed by poor peripherals (4.91 FIP, 5.14 SIERA, 6.8 K-BB%).
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Remains in rotation
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Cecconi will start Monday in the Diamondbacks' series opener versus the Rangers at Chase Field, Jody Jackson of Bally Sports Arizona reports.
After making a one-inning appearance out of the bullpen in an Aug. 11 game against the Padres, Cecconi returned to the Arizona rotation Wednesday in Colorado. He navigated the unfavorable conditions at Coors Field well enough, striking out four over four innings while limiting the Rockies to two runs on four hits and three walks. Even so, Cecconi owns mostly underwhelming ratios (4.91 FIP, 5.14 SIERA, 6.8 K-BB%) through his limited sample of big-league action to date and wasn't especially impressive over a larger body of work at Triple-A Reno earlier this season, making it tough to recommend him as a streaming option while he faces off Monday against one of the American League's top lineups.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Cecconi: Allows two runs over four frames
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Cecconi did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks over four innings against Colorado. He struck out four.
Cecconi struggled in the opening frame, allowing a walk and three hits, including a solo home run to Ryan McMahon. The right-hander would throw three scoreless innings from that point on but was relieved by Tyler Gilbert in the bottom of the fifth after hitting Ezequiel Tovar with a pitch to begin the frame. The 24-year-old Cecconi has now allowed two runs in two of his three appearances this season, while his 76 pitches Wednesday marked a season high.
