The Arizona Diamondbacks cut ties with the veteran right-hander after his last two appearances didn't go according to plan.
As of Sunday, Aug. 23, the Arizona Diamondbacks have officially ended the Zack Littell experiment.
Littell came to the D-backs fresh off a stint with the Washington Nationals, but clearly, things didn't go according to plan.
The North Carolina native appeared in just three games, and while he didn't make a single start, he somehow found his time in Arizona coming to an end with a 1-0 record.
Littell is now 8-8 this season with a 5.21 ERA, but it's worth noting that number was raised from his 7.50 ERA with the D-backs.
After a flawless first appearance, things went downhill rather quickly for the 30-year-old pitcher.
Officially, the Diamondbacks designated Littell for assignment, and in his place they reinstated fellow right-handed pitcher Drey Jameson from the 15-day Injured List.
Littell gave up 10 runs in his last two appearances
There's a ton of noise surrounding this Diamondbacks squad as while they'd love to be a Wild Card contender, they're dealing with an unexpected Ketel Marte absence, and have had to maneuver through a ton of different injuries, specifically to starting pitchers.
Littell may not have started a game for Arizona, but his scoreless 4.2-inning outing on August 10 definitely got things started on the right foot.
The eight-year veteran allowed just two hits in his first appearance with the D-backs, but the team had no idea how quickly things would trend in the opposite direction.
Littell's next appearance came exactly one week later, and he allowed six earned runs (eight total) on 11 hits in just 3.2 innings.
The righty needed to throw 86 pitches just to record 11 outs, something that no team wants to see out of an arm in their bullpen.
After allowing four earned runs on eight hits last night, the D-backs decided it was time to end this experiment altogether. Now that Jameson is back, they at least have a different name that can eat up innings.
Welcome back, Jameson
Arizona's playoff hopes are going to run through this team's pitching staff. The offense doesn't seem to be a big problem; instead, it's in regard to how inconsistent this team's pitchers can be.
As for Jameson, the 29-year-old last pitched on Sunday, July 19. He hasn't given up more than two earned runs in an appearance this season, and it's worth noting that six of his 11 appearances have seen him record more than three outs.
