Phillies Claim Reliever Off Waivers From Diamondbacks
Arizona designated Hoffmann for assignment earlier in the week, and he had actually been listed as released on MLB.com's transactions tracker as recently as the day before.
That means Hoffmann was placed on release waivers rather than the standard outright waivers, likely because he was on the minor league injured list at the time of his designation, which closed off that usual path.
A trade wasn't an option either, since the deadline had already passed weeks earlier.
A Rough 2026, With A Real Injury Attached
Philadelphia is taking on a big health question along with the roster addition.
Hoffmann hasn't appeared in a game since early June due to an undisclosed injury suffered at the Triple-A level, and the Phillies felt comfortable enough with his recovery to claim him anyway.
His results this season haven't been pretty regardless of health. Hoffmann carries a 7.71 ERA across 11.2 innings in the majors with Arizona, and his time at Triple-A Reno wasn't much better, posting a 6.08 ERA in 13.1 innings before landing on the injured list.
For his career, the 26-year-old has a 6.85 ERA across 23.2 major league innings.
Philadelphia Is Still Willing To Bet
The interest goes back to what Hoffmann showed just one year ago. 2025 was his first full season working exclusively as a reliever after starting his professional career as a starter, and the shift paid off in a big way at Triple-A.
He posted a 3.19 ERA across 42.1 innings, striking out 31.7 percent of batters faced, walking just 7.2 percent, and inducing groundouts on 54.2 percent of balls in play, numbers that would play in a big league bullpen if he can rediscover them.
That track record is enough to make him a legitimate depth option once healthy. Philadelphia's front office has plenty of motivation to see what he has left, with the club currently working around injuries to relievers multiple relievers as it pushes for a playoff spot down the stretch.
Hoffmann has bounced around before landing in Philadelphia. The Atlanta Braves drafted him in the 12th round out of Illinois in 2021, then traded him along with outfielder Drew Waters and infielder XJ Alexander to the Kansas City Royals in 2022.
He made his MLB debut with Kansas City last season before Arizona acquired him in a trade that sent outfielder Randal Grichuk back to the Royals.
For now, Hoffmann heads to Lehigh Valley to continue his recovery, with a real chance to work his way back to the majors in September if interim manager Don Mattingly and the Phillies like what they see once he's ready to pitch.
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