DENVER -- The D-backs continued their roster shuffle Friday, selecting the contract of outfielder Gregor Blanco from Triple-A Reno while optioning Thursday's starting pitcher, Braden Shipley, to Reno.
The move gives the D-backs 13 position players and 12 ptichers, which has been their standard alignment this year until this past weekend, when they promoted Shipley and optioned outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker to Reno.
Blanco hit .391 (9-for-23) in six games with Class A Advanced Visalia and Reno.
"We felt like we needed an extra body, we needed the extra position player, and Gregor was ready," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "He had 26 plate appearances. Really, outside of the performance, we knew he was swinging the bat very, very well. It was just a matter of him getting healthy and him being ready, and we're excited to have him."
Blanco seemed like he was going to make the team out of Spring Training but strained his right oblique 10 days before the start of the regular season.
As a non-roster invitee to camp with a certain amount of big league service time, the D-backs had to decide whether to add him to the roster by March 28. The team released him one day prior to that and re-signed him the next day.
Despite having other teams interested this spring, Blanco said he never considered leaving the D-backs.
"You have that in your mind and you've already set your goals with these guys and talked to them about how the season was going to go and how to be teammates and take care of each other, play for each other and try to win a championship," Blanco said. "It's hard to see yourself out of it."
It won't be Archie
With Shipley's demotion, the D-backs are one starter short in the rotation. Zack Godley got the first look in the role after Shelby Miller tore his ulnar collateral ligament.
With an off-day coming up, the D-backs have several different ways they could go to fill the role. One person it will not be is Archie Bradley, who has a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings out of the bullpen.
"Archie is not a candidate to be a starter," Lovullo said. "Archie's going to remain in the bullpen. He's been very effective, he's had dominant stuff, and we feel like that role is needed for us moving forward."