J.J. Putz Rumors & News

Diamondbacks closer J.J. Putz was happy to get back on the mound and throw his first bullpen session since being placed on the disabled list with a strained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on May 8, but he's content to take it slow. Especially with teammate Daniel Hudson suffering a re-tear of his UCL earlier this week, undoing a year's worth of rehab coming back from Tommy John surgery.

Two weeks after suffering an elbow injury, Diamondbacks closer J.J. Putz has started to throw 90 feet on flat ground. "He's just throwing right now," manager Kirk Gibson said. "He's playing catch. He just says his arm feels good, elbow feels good."

Arizona Diamondbacks' Miguel Montero, right, who hit the game-winning home run, celebrates a win with teammate J.J. Putz after the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, on Friday, May 10, 2013, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks defeated the Phillies 3-2. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Heath Bell's transition back into the closer role, with J.J. Putz on the shelf with an elbow injury, wasn't the challenge. That job was old hat.

Diamondbacks closer J.J. Putz will not undergo elbow surgery and instead, try a rehab process that the team hopes will allow the injury to heal on it own. Putz, 36, has a sprained ligament, a strained flexor pronator and an irritated nerve, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

LOS ANGELES - While awaiting news on the severity of closer J.J. Putz's right elbow injury, the Diamondbacks went about reconfiguring their bullpen, naming reliever Heath Bell as Putz's replacement in the ninth inning. Manager Kirk Gibson said that by going with Bell and by leaving right-hander David Hernandez with his usual eighth-inning duties, the team was able to alter as few roles as possible.

The Diamondbacks placed right-hander J.J. Putz on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow strain and recalled right-hander Will Harris from Triple-A Reno. Putz left his outing on Tuesday night after facing just one batter. He said he felt tightness in his elbow and tingling in his arm down to his fingers.

SAN DIEGO -- Reliever J.J. Putz either pitched or warmed up in eight of the Diamondbacks' previous 11 games, according to manager Kirk Gibson, who said he wants to limit the workload for his struggling closer. "I'm going to be more proactive (in getting Putz days off)," Gibson said. "I may not pitch him two days in a row. I may pitch him two and give him two off. You guys know me: I need to use my whole team and I need to use my whole bullpen, as well. That just means we're all going to have to pitch."