Diamondbacks sign Littell, Soroka; Sewald DFA

The Diamondbacks designated veteran closer Paul Sewald for assignment after a disappointing stretch that raised his ERA and cost him the closer role. He had converted 24 of 27 saves earlier in the season, but his performance deteriorated from June through July. Arizona responded by reconfiguring late-inning duties to a closer-by-committee approach, including left-hander Brandyn Garcia in ninths. In the meantime, Arizona signed Zack Littell to a one-year deal and activated Michael Soroka from the injured list to bolster both bullpen and rotation depth. Sewald’s time with Arizona, 53-for-62 in save conversions and a 4.95 ERA in parts of three seasons, appears to be over as the club pivots. Soroka’s return gives a trusted arm in the rotation alongside Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt, supporting the push for a postseason berth. The club’s reshuffle, including optioning Kade Strowd, underscores a broader effort to stabilize depth ahead of the playoffs.