Making sense of the D-Backs’ 8 Friday roster moves

The struggling Diamondbacks overhauled about one-fifth of their roster yesterday when they sent Shelby Miller and Rubby De La Rosa to the DL, sent Andrew Chafin and Evan Marshall to Triple-A, called up Silvino Bracho, Dominic Leone and Peter O’Brien, and activated Josh Collmenter. That’s a run-on sentence if I ever saw one.
The multitude of moves didn’t help the team on the field last night, as they lost 10-3. But here’s how they could help (or hurt) the team going forward:

Shelby Miller: Miller was put on the DL for the first time in his career as he continues to suffer from a cut on his pitching hand. Miller cut himself on the mound (Yeah, that’s evidently possible) in San Diego in April. It’s no secret that the Diamondbacks have gotten the short end of the stick on the Miller deal, he’s struggled all season. This would be a good time for him to clear his head, heal whatever injury he may have and hopefully return to the form that led the Diamondbacks to mortgage away their future to acquire him. Archie Bradley, who has a 1.99 ERA in the minors.

Rubby De La Rosa: This one hurts the Diamondbacks the most. De La Rosa will be out for about a month with this injury. He’s been their best pitcher all season, which was almost unfathomable a few months ago. Edwin Escobar will take his spot in the rotation for the time being. Escobar was rated the 56th-best prospect in baseball by Baseball America ahead of the 2014 season, and recorded a 4.50 ERA in two innings with Boston in 2014.

Silvino Bracho: Bracho will take over a middle-relief spot. He recorded a 7.36 ERA in three games earlier in the season, and has a 4.26 ERA in 18 appearances with Triple-A, where he has served as the team’s closer.

Peter O’Brien: This is the call-up with the highest ceiling. O’Brien was a second-round pick in 2012 and was a key piece in the Martin Prado trade. He has 12 home runs and 32 RBI in Triple-A.

Dominic Leone: Leone will occupy a bullpen spot, and he’s got a 3.63 lifetime ERA– but a 9.00 ERA over the last two seasons. He was great with the Mariners in 2014, as he recorded a 2.17 ERA in 57 games. This is a high-risk, high-reward call-up.

Andrew Chafin and Evan Marshall: Both fit the same exact bill: Once-solid relievers who have had awful seasons. Chafin’s 2.76 ERA last year– and Marshall’s 2.74 in 2014– once made them appear to be bullpen mainstays. But their 9.00 and 6.92 respective ERA’s punched them a one-way ticket to Reno for the time being. Bon voyage.

Josh Collmenter: Collmenter has been fantastic for the Diamondbacks, especially as a reliever, over the years. But he struggled through spring training and much of his rehab, sporting a 6.00 ERA. He allowed four earned runs in one-third of an inning last night, so he’s not off to a very good start.