The Arizona Diamondbacks promoted Dennis Santana from Triple-A Reno while designating left-hander Philip Abner for assignment.
The Arizona Diamondbacks made a change to their bullpen Sunday, bringing in right-hander Dennis Santana while removing left-hander Philip Abner from the 40-man roster.
Arizona selected Santana’s contract from Triple-A Reno and designated Abner for assignment in the corresponding move.
Santana recently joined the Diamondbacks after signing a minor-league deal with the club on Aug. 6. The right-hander spent most of the season with the Pittsburgh Pirates before being designated for assignment and eventually released.
His time with Pittsburgh was difficult as Santana recorded a 6.05 ERA across 41.2 innings. He allowed eight home runs during that stretch after giving up only five in the previous season.
The Diamondbacks are hoping a change of scenery can help Santana get back to the form he showed during his previous two seasons with Pittsburgh.
After joining the Pirates in 2024, Santana became a reliable bullpen option. He finished that season with a 2.44 ERA over 44.1 innings and followed it up with a 2.18 ERA across 70.1 innings in 2025.
That recent success makes Santana an intriguing depth option for Arizona, even though his 2026 season has not gone according to plan.
The Diamondbacks currently find themselves in the middle of the National League postseason race, so Santana will have an opportunity to contribute while the club evaluates its bullpen options.
However, his stay in the majors could be temporary. Arizona has received strong performances from several other relievers recently, including Gerardo Carrillo, Taylor Clarke and Juan Morillo. If those pitchers continue to perform well, Santana could eventually return to Reno.
Meanwhile, Abner will now enter the waiver process after losing his spot on Arizona’s 40-man roster.
The 24-year-old left-hander appeared in eight games for the Diamondbacks this season after moving between the majors and minors. He struggled during his time in Arizona, posting a 6.28 ERA over 14.1 innings while issuing more walks than strikeouts.
Abner also struggled at Triple-A Reno, where he recorded a 5.01 ERA this season.
Still, there could be interest in the former sixth-round pick. Abner had a much better 2025 season in the minors and remains relatively young, giving another organization a potential opportunity to develop him.
If Abner clears waivers, Arizona could assign him back to Reno, though he would need to eventually have his contract selected again to return to the major leagues.
For now, the Diamondbacks will turn to Santana as they look for another bullpen option during their postseason push.
