The Arizona Diamondbacks have released veteran right-hander Joe Ross after his stint with Triple-A Reno, bringing another chapter in the former big-league starter’s injury-filled career to a close.

Ross initially joined Arizona on a minor-league contract during the offseason and managed to earn a spot on the club’s Opening Day roster. His return to the majors, however, was brief.

The 32-year-old appeared in limited action before being designated for assignment after only 3 2/3 innings. After clearing waivers and electing free agency, Ross re-signed with the organization on another minor-league deal and reported back to Reno.

While pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Ross delivered respectable results in a long-relief role. Across 21 innings, he posted a 4.29 ERA while relying more on weak contact and ground balls than overpowering stuff.

His strikeout numbers remained modest, but he consistently limited walks and avoided significant hard contact, helping stabilize Reno’s bullpen at times during the season.

Ross enters free agency again with extensive major=league experience despite years of battling injuries. The right-hander has appeared in parts of nine MLB seasons and was once viewed as a promising rotation piece early in his career.

Unfortunately, recurring health setbacks interrupted much of his momentum. Ross has undergone two Tommy John surgeries and also dealt with elbow, shoulder, and back issues throughout his time in professional baseball.

Even with those setbacks, Ross showed he could still contribute at the major-league level as recently as 2024. During his season with the Milwaukee Brewers, he logged a 3.77 ERA across 74 innings while serving in both starting and relief roles.

His time with the Philadelphia Phillies the following season proved more difficult as opposing hitters found more success against him and his strikeout rate dipped noticeably.

For his career, Ross owns a 4.37 ERA over more than 570 major-league innings. Teams searching for rotation depth or bullpen versatility could still view him as an intriguing low-risk option, especially considering his ability to handle multiple innings.

Reports from Reno also indicated Ross was throwing harder than ever, with both his four-seam fastball and sinker reaching career-best velocity marks.

With the season progressing and pitching depth always in demand, Ross could soon find another opportunity elsewhere.

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