D-backs bringing up Bradley to Majors

The D-backs need a couple of extra arms. It helps to have one like Archie Bradley's ready in the system.

Arizona called up its No. 2 prospect to the Majors on Sunday. He was joined by 25-year-old right-hander Evan Marshall, and the moves came one day after the D-backs used nine pitchers, including slated Monday starter Rubby De La Rosa, in a 5-3 loss to the Padres in 14 innings in San Diego.

Bradley was scheduled to start with Triple-A Reno, but is expected to be used out of the bullpen in Arizona. (Update: Bradley will start for the club Monday night with De La Rosa ruled out.) Right-handers Jake Barrett and Matt Buschmann -- both of whom appeared in Saturday's marathon -- were optioned to make room for Bradley and Marshall.

OFFICIAL: #Dbacks recall RHPs Archie Bradley & Evan Marshall and option RHPs Jake Barrett & Matt Buschmann to the Triple-A Reno @Aces.

- Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 17, 2016

Bradley was 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA, nine strikeouts and five walks in his first two starts spanning 6 2/3 innings with Reno, but the outings were polar opposites. The 23-year-old right-hander tossed six scoreless innings on Opening Day for the Aces but lasted only 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on three hits, two walks and a hit batsman while throwing 40 pitches last Tuesday.

This will mark Bradley's second stint in the Majors following his debut last year on April 11. He made eight starts with the club over the season's first two months and struggled, going 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA before being placed on the disabled list in June with right shoulder tendinitis. He also missed time in May after being struck in the head on a comebacker. Bradley made only six starts in the Minors over the course of the rest of the 2015 season due to continued issues with the shoulder and was optioned back to Triple-A this spring.

"Obviously, I wasn't pleased with it," he told MiLB.com after his Opening Day start about being sent down. "I don't think anybody should be pleased with being sent down. You want to start the year in the big leagues and stay there, but the thing I was most positive about was I knew my stuff was very close to clicking and I was headed in the right direction."

The seventh overall pick in the 2011 Draft, Bradley has been at or near the top of the D-backs' prospect rankings for the past five years. Before the 2014 season, he sat among baseball's top 10 overall prospects in the rankings set by MLB.com. Injury concerns and control issues at the Minors' highest levels have hurt the Oklahoma native's stock in recent years, though. However, he still possesses a plus fastball and curveball, according to MLB.com's evaluations, and his overall four-pitch mix was enough to earn him the No. 70 overall spot in this year's rankings.