PHOENIX -- The D-backs got some good news recently when a follow-up MRI of Randall Delgado's right elbow showed improvement.
Delgado's season came to an end on July 16 when he was placed on the disabled list with elbow inflammation.
Delgado was later diagnosed with a strained flexor strain in his elbow and underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection in September to help aid in the healing process.
"We had a follow-up MRI and that's looking good," D-backs GM Mike Hazen said. "We feel good about where he's at right now."
Delgado was an underrated member of the Arizona bullpen last year. More than just the 3.59 ERA he compiled in 26 games was his versatility. He started five games for the D-backs, helping to give the rotation an extra day of rest and he was a jack-of-all trades for the team coming out of the bullpen.
As a reliever, Delgado threw at least 1 1/3 innings of relief in 14 of his appearances, threw at least two innings in 12 games and three innings in five of his appearances.
"When we lost him, [we lost] that flexibility to be able to bounce back and forth," Hazen said. "I also think bouncing between roles in the bullpen -- on a day when we needed three innings or when we needed a couple of outs -- he was able to pitch in both situations."
Delgado is in his final year of arbitration eligibility and MLBTradeRumors.com projects him to earn $2.5 million in 2018.
Delgado has not yet begun a throwing program because the team wants him to wait until he would normally start his preparations for Spring Training, which is usually after Christmas.
"You never know 100 percent how these things go, but we're pretty optimistic about it at this point," Hazen said.