CHICAGO (AP) — Left-hander A.J. Puk was put on the 15-day injured list by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday with left elbow inflammation.
Puk has four saves in eight games with Arizona this season, going 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA. He’s 17-20 with a 3.53 ERA and 26 saves in 212 games over a six-year career with three teams.
Puk’s IL move was retroactive to Friday. He had Tommy John surgery in 2018.
Manager Torey Lovullo said Puk made the team aware of the injury on Thursday in Miami after he pitched the ninth inning and earned a save in the Diamondback's 6-4 win. Puk had reported elbow fatigue earlier, Lovullo added.
Puk will undergo imaging on Monday after the team returns to Arizona.
“We just feel like at this point in time it's the safest thing for him to just pull back and get him evaluated and figure out what's going on in there,” Lovullo said. “I'm going to remain optimistic. We don't know what's going on in there.”
Arizona shuffled its bullpen, recalling right-hander Drey Jameson from Reno and selecting the contracts of righties J.P. Feyereisen and Juan Morillo from their Triple-A farm team ahead of Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Feyereisen and Morillo each pitched a scoreless inning in the game.
Infielder Grae Kessinger was designated for assignment.
Arizona optioned left-hander Joe Mantiply and right-hander Bryce Jarvis to Reno following Friday’s 13-11 loss at Chicago.
Jameson was 0-0 with a 2.70 ERA in seven games with Reno. He pitched in 19 games in the majors in 2022 and 2023 with the Diamondbacks, going 6-1 with a 2.63 ERA.
Feyereisen was 1-0 with a 0.96 ERA and seven games with Reno. The 32-year-old is 8-5 with a 2.95 ERA for his career in the majors with three teams over four seasons.
Morillo is 0-0 with a 1.42 ERA in six games with Reno. He appeared in nine major league games with Colorado and Minnesota with no record and a 13.5O ERA.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher A.J. Puk throws during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) at Denver (13-3)
Sunday, 4:25 EST, CBS.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Broncos by 12 1/2.
Against the spread: Chargers 8-7-1; Broncos 6-9-1.
Series record: Broncos lead 72-58-1.
Last meeting: Chargers beat Broncos 23-20 on Sept. 21, 2025, in Inglewood, California.
Last week: Chargers lost to Texans 20-16; Broncos beat Chiefs 20-13.
Chargers offense: overall (12), rush (12), pass (15), scoring (T-16).
Chargers defense: overall (4), rush (9), pass (6), scoring (7).
Broncos offense: overall (9), rush (19), pass (9), scoring (14).
Broncos defense: overall (3), rush (2), pass (8), scoring (4).
Turnover differential: Chargers plus-4 ; Broncos minus-5.
QB Trey Lance is making his sixth career start and first for the Chargers. He's appeared in three games this season, completing 7 of 13 passes for 90 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions and two sacks.
WR Courtland Sutton surpassed 1,000 yards last week, but he dropped a touchdown pass and caught just four of the 10 passes Bo Nix threw his way. Sutton has 73 receptions for 1,012 yards and seven TDs this season, a similar output to last year when he caught 81 passes for 1,081 yards and eight TDs.
The Chargers offensive line and backup QB versus Denver's dominant pass rush. The Broncos have had a franchise-record and NFL-best 64 sacks so far and are within striking distance of the NFL record of 72 set by the 1984 Chicago Bears, who had a dozen in their season finale that year.
Chargers: Coach Jim Harbaugh said he's sitting QB Justin Herbert (left hand) for the finale along with several other starters. Rookie RB Omarion Hampton (ankle) missed practice time this week as did CB Nikko Reed (hamstring) and OL Jamaree Salyer (hamstring). Harbaugh said he doesn't expect Salyer to play Sunday.
Broncos: LB Dre Greenlaw has been dealing with a hamstring injury and won't play in the finale. WR Pat Bryant (concussion), TE Nate Adkins (knee) and DL John Franklin-Meyers (hip) were limited in practice this week.
The Chargers have won all three games against Denver and Sean Payton with Jim Harbaugh as head coach. All three have been one-score games.
The Chargers clinched a playoff berth for the second straight season, the first time that's happened since they reached the postseason four consecutive times from 2006-09. ... The Bolts are coming off a 20-16 loss to Houston in which they were 2 of 5 in the red zone while the defense allowed a pair of rare long touchdown passes to open the game. K Cameron Dicker missed a field goal from inside 40 yards for the first time in his career and pulled an extra point wide for the first time this season. ... The Chargers are the only team that's unbeaten (5-0) in the AFC West this season. ... RB Omarion Hampton has a touchdown in three of his past four games. ... WR Quentin Johnston is coming off a 98-yard performance in Week 17. ... WR Keenan Allen had seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown against Denver in Week 3. ... The Broncos were the first team to clinch a playoff spot and can earn the AFC's No. 1 overall seed with a win Sunday. The Broncos won the AFC West for the first time since 2015, ending the Kansas City Chiefs' nine-year reign atop the division. ... Broncos QB Bo Nix is tied for the second-most victories over the first two seasons at his position with 23. With a win Sunday, he'll tie Russell Wilson's NFL record of 24 wins in his first two seasons. ... Nix needs one TD pass to become the fourth QB in NFL history with at least 25 in each of his first two seasons. ... Nix is the third player ever, joining Herbert and Peyton Manning, with 3,500-plus passing yards and 25 or more TD passes in each of his first two NFL seasons. ... RB RJ Harvey leads rookies with a dozen TDs this season. He's scored a TD in five consecutive games. ... LB Nik Bonitto had two sacks in Week 3 against the Chargers.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden (86) celebrates his touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in Kansas City. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton (8) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Justin Herbert (10) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
