Overview
-
2025 stats: 2 G, 6.2 IP, 4.05 ERA, 7.49 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 10.8 SO/BB, 112 ERA+
-
Date of birth: July 29, 1997 (28 years old)
-
2025 earnings: $367,741 (pro-rated $820,000)
-
2026 status: pretty much out for the season after undergoing TJ surgery in June/July 2025.
Introduction
-
2022 player review (#19, 5.22 – Tommy Time started in 2022. Will it continue into 2023 and beyond?)
Maybe you don’t remember, but as recently as last year we all thought that Tommy Henry had just as decent a shot at an opening day starting rotation job as Ryne Nelson. That was until Jordan Montgomery was signed right before Opening Day in 2024.
Advertisement
That in itself was quite the achievement, because Tommy Henry was never much of a prospect, despite being selected in the 2nd round of the 2019 MLB amateur draft by the Diamondbacks. His low velocity and an unimpressive run in the minors before he got called up to the major leagues in 2022 didn’t do much to change that perception.
However, his 2022 and 2023 performance in the major leagues were hopeful, though a thick smoke of doubt was hanging around it.
That doubt became reality when Tommy Henry indeed made the 2024 opening day rotation, but his performance was hell times two. The lefty was all over the place, giving up 9 homeruns and hitting 4 batters, and lost an entire mile on the velocity of all pitches, with his fastball averaging less than 90 mph. His 7.04 ERA in 9 games (38.1 innings) was a statement of his troubles.
I thought we would not see Tommy Henry back, but obviously I had not taken into account the dumpster diving that would be our pitching in 2025.
Advertisement
2025 review
As expected, Henry was never an option for the Opening Day starting rotation and found himself pitching in Reno when the season started. His performance there was…let’s say: abysmal, even for PCL standards.
Henry started 6 games, being tagged for 4 losses, giving up 32 runs in 31.2 innings. You might wonder why the Diamondbacks want him to start in AAA.
It was pretty much a shock when Henry was called up to the big league roster early May, but the Diamondbacks were in panic. Corbin Burnes was removed from his start and Ryne Nelson was expected to fill in for him in the starting rotation. Tommy Henry was supposed to slide into a long relief role in the bullpen.
Advertisement
That worked smoothly, as Henry provided 2.2 scoreless innings against the New York Mets, needing only 36 pitches for that. BABIP said he was lucky, though the luck was not enough for the Diamondbacks, who ended up losing 5-4, though Henry gave them a chance to get back from 5-1 and dream of an unexpected turnaround. Henry was optioned back to Reno the following day.
The lefty returned to what he did best in the PCL in 2025: give up runs. He gave up 13 runs in his next 4 outings, before getting another call-up to the big leagues.
This time the D-Backs had climbed back from a 6-0 loss after 3 innings, against the Braves, a poor start from Pfaadt, before they took 3 back and sent Henry to the mound. This time, the lefty was less lucky than in his performance against the Mets. Tommy did his best and was better than Pfaadt, completing 4 innings, getting 7 strikeouts, but he also gave up 3 more runs. He left the game with the Diamondbacks trailing once again with 6 runs, now 9-3 after 7 innings. The Diamonbacks would eventually, somehow, win the game 11-10, scoring 7 runs in the 9th inning.
Henry was once again optioned to Reno the day after and gave up 6 runs in 2 innings in his next outing. That turned out to be his last, as 2 days later he was placed on the 7-day IL in Reno, on June 12.
Advertisement
A month later Henry was called up to the major leagues and moved to the 60-day IL to create a roster spot for Tristin English. When that move was done, Torey Lovullo explained that Tommy Henry had recently undergone Tommy John surgery, including both internal bracing and ligament repair.
2026 outlook
At the time Tommy Henry was drafted, he had already experienced a velocity drop. In 2023, the lefty was already quite some time on the 60-day IL with left elbow inflammation, thought did not require TJ surgery at that moment. Perhaps it was an ill-fated decision back then? Henry’s fastball in 2024 averaged a poor 89.8 mph and in the two appearances he had in 2025 it had dropped to an average of just 89.0 mph, 87.9 mph at its lowest and topping out at 89.7 mph.
Having undergone TJ surgery in June/July, Henry’s 2026 season is already over before it has even started, so we won’t see Henry back in a Diamondbacks’ uniform until 2027, if ever.
