Diamondbacks Designate Gurriel Jr. for Assignment

The Arizona Diamondbacks designated outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for assignment on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, before their game against the Texas Rangers. Gurriel, a 32-year-old 2023 All-Star who helped Arizona reach the World Series, batted .210 with two home runs, 22 RBIs and a .544 OPS in 51 games after returning April 18 from a torn ACL. Infielder Jose Fernandez was recalled from Triple-A Reno. His three-year, $42 million contract from before 2024 includes a $14 million club option and $5 million buyout for 2027. He joined Arizona with Gabriel Moreno in the Toronto trade for Daulton Varsho and hit .270/.315/.449 with 42 homers in 2023-2024. No factual disputes were found among available sources. Manager Torey Lovullo, who discussed the painful decision with Gurriel before the game, said: "He's meant so much to this organization. A great teammate, a big influence inside of that clubhouse and to say goodbye to that is never easy. But there's reasons for that decision." Arizona lost 7-6 after trailing 7-1 through six, with fifth-inning errors by Nolan Arenado and Lars Nootbaar aiding three unearned runs. Arenado hit a three-run homer, his 25th, in the seventh. The team fell to 79-71, two games back of the Padres with 12 games left.