Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed pitching prospect Cristian Mena turned in his best start of the Triple-A campaign on Thursday against Sugar Land. The right-hander logged five 1/3 innings of work and did not allow a run. He served up just two hits and one walk. He struck out seven batters. This was a strong bounce-back outing for Mena as he posted a high 8.53 ERA with a 1.74 WHIP over his last 19 innings (four starts). During this stretch, the No. 13-ranked prospect in the Arizona system held a 24:8 K:BB and allowed five long balls. Mena was given a brief taste of the majors this season and logged three 2/3 shutout innings. If Mena continues to find his footing at Reno, he should be in the mix to have a more extended stint in the majors.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed pitching prospect Cristian Mena was optioned to Triple-A. Mena was unlikely to claim a spot on the Opening Day roster and will begin his season at Triple-A. Mena made his MLB debut last summer and logged just three innings of work. He allowed four earned runs and tallied two strikeouts. Mena spent the majority of his 2024 campaign with Triple-A. Across 95 2/3 innings at this level, the 22-year-old held a 4.61 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP. He tallied 102 strikeouts but served up a high 46 walks. He made his Triple-A debut late in the 2023 season and held a higher 5.95 ERA with a 1.78 WHIP across 19 2/3 frames. Fantasy managers should expect Mena to remain in the starting rotation with Triple-A Reno and could eventually return to the majors if he continues to progress.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Cristian Mena has been officially called up ahead of Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This move was expected after Jordan Montgomery (knee) was placed on the injured list on Tuesday. The 21-year-old holds a 4.90 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and 89/38 K/BB ratio across 16 starts. Mena certainly has plenty of potential, but he won't be a recommended streaming option for Wednesday's start against the Dodgers slugging lineup.

Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed pitching prospect Cristian Mena has joined the team's taxi squad and is expected to make his major-league debut on Wednesday in a start on the road against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. The 21-year-old Dominican hurler went 3-2 in 16 starts (82 2/3 innings) for Triple-A Reno while posting a 4.90 ERA and 1.49 WHIP with 89 strikeouts and 38 walks before getting his first call to the big leagues. He's the D-backs' No. 11 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and could be headed right back to Reno after making a spot start in his first taste of the big leagues against one of the best teams in baseball. We'd advise against using Mena as a deep-league streamer in this matchup. He relies mostly on his breaking pitches for swings and misses and has shown trouble commanding his pitches at times in the minors.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitching prospect Cristian Mena threw five shutout innings on Wednesday and tied a season-high nine punchouts. Through 50 innings with Triple-A Reno, Mena has a 3.42 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 54:25 K:BB ratio. The 21-year-old got a small taste of Triple-A ball last season but struggled with a 5.95 ERA across 19 innings. While Mena is showcasing his elite strikeout upside, he is still struggling with his control. Mena should be expected to reach the major leagues later this summer and could become a must-stash player if he lowers his walk rate over his next few starts.