The Diamondbacks have inked right-hander Chris Ellis to a minor league contract, as announced by the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks, where Ellis was set to pitch. Ellis is one of two players signed from the Ducks today, with veteran righty Dan Straily joining the Cubs on a minor league deal.
At 31 years old, Ellis, a former third-round pick, has seen action in parts of three big league seasons. Initially drafted by the Angels from Ole Miss, he was traded to the Braves along with Sean Newcomb in the Andrelton Simmons deal. Subsequently, Atlanta sent him to the Cardinals as part of a package for Jaime García, but Ellis peaked at Triple-A in the St. Louis system.
He made his MLB debut with a single appearance for the Royals in 2019. It would be two more years before he received a somewhat longer stint, logging 29 1/3 innings between the Rays and Orioles. Ellis posted a 2.15 ERA but had a below-average 19.6% strikeout rate and an elevated 11.6% walk percentage. He started two games for the Orioles the following year, allowing five runs over 4 1/3 innings, before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery and being outrighted off the roster.
Ellis sat out the entire 2023 season, but he appears to be healthy enough to return to the mound and is likely to provide non-roster rotation depth for Triple-A Reno. The Diamondbacks have suffered some setbacks to their rotation in recent weeks, with Eduardo Rodriguez expected to be out at least until late May due to a lat injury sustained in Spring Training. Ryne Nelson was sidelined for a few weeks by a comebacker, and Merrill Kelly is facing a lengthy absence due to a shoulder strain. This situation has pushed Tommy Henry and Slade Cecconi into the starting five behind Zac Gallen, Jordan Montgomery, and Brandon Pfaadt.
