Salty comes off DL; D-backs option Leone

SEATTLE -- The D-backs activated Jarrod Saltalamacchia from the 15-day disabled list on Monday, optioning right-hander Dominic Leone to Double-A Mobile to make room for the catcher on the 25-man roster.

Leone, 23, has appeared in just three games for the D-backs since coming to Arizona in a trade that sent Mark Trumbo to the Mariners, posting a 14.73 ERA over 3 2/3 innings.

Saltalamacchia had been hitting .333 (4-for-12) in four July games prior to being placed on the DL with a strained neck on July 12. In 20 games with the D-backs this season, he is hitting .213 with one home run and four RBIs.

"No one likes going on the DL, especially this time of the year when guys are grinding and battling," Saltalamacchia said. "It's tough because guys might need some rest, but I'm back now so it's time to get back to work."

Saltalamacchia said the All-Star break allowed his neck to heal slightly, but the injury prevented him from swinging and working on his technique at full capacity until a couple of games into the second half.

"It was tough," Saltalamacchia said. "The first game [after the break] I felt good and probably could have played, but there's always that chance that it gets worse. It was probably the right thing to [wait] and obviously we had to make moves as a team."

The addition of Saltalamacchia gives the D-backs 13 position players -- three catchers -- and 12 pitchers on their 25-man roster. Welington Castillo has appeared in 33 games behind the plate for Arizona, while Oscar Hernandez has appeared in five games at catcher.

D-backs manager Chip Hale said Saltalamacchia could see time at designated hitter with Arizona playing in American League parks through Sunday.

"In the American League games, we'll probably use Salty as a DH one day so we can get him some at-bats and get him back into his game," Hale said.