Santana rehab setback with Reno delays return to Arizona roster

Carlos Santana was closing in on a return to Arizona when the adductor tightened again, turning what looked like the final step of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno into another pause in the Diamondbacks’ first-base plans. Santana felt a twinge in his right adductor on May 9, and his status was shifted back to re-evaluation after the club had been encouraged by how close he seemed to activation.

That matters because Santana was already working back from a strained right adductor that sent him to the injured list retroactive to April 6, with his return still listed as TBD and his injury status last updated May 11. For Arizona, the setback does more than delay one veteran’s comeback. It stretches out the club’s need for a workable first-base solution and gives the players behind Santana a longer window to make a case for at-bats and roster security if the timetable slips further.

Before the latest setback, Reno had looked like the right place for Santana to rebuild timing and durability. The 40-year-old was listed as a Reno Aces rehab assignment player and had already logged 23 at-bats with three hits, one home run and four RBIs in his 2026 Triple-A stint. He had produced real impact in live games, including a go-ahead RBI single in what was described as his second rehab game and a two-run homer on May 9 that showed the bat still had thump. Instead of clearing the final hurdle, the discomfort stopped the momentum just as Arizona was preparing for a possible activation.

The situation leaves Reno with a different kind of significance now. The Aces were the proving ground for Santana’s return, and his pause means another Triple-A bat can keep pressing for attention while Arizona waits on medical clarity. Rehab assignments are supposed to answer the question of whether a veteran is ready. In Santana’s case, the answer was positive enough to spark optimism, then uncertain enough to push the decision back into the training room.

Arizona got one clearer update on the pitching side. Justin Martinez threw his first bullpen session since Tommy John surgery on May 8 at Salt River Fields, and Torey Lovullo called it “electric.” Martinez reportedly worked at 96-99 mph and briefly touched triple digits, a promising benchmark after his June 25, 2025 surgery. The Diamondbacks have his return penciled into the second half of the 2026 season, but Santana’s delay is the more immediate roster issue, because it changes the club’s near-term answer at first base and keeps Reno in the middle of Arizona’s decision-making a little longer.