Diamondbacks’ Carlos Santana Suffers Groin Rehab Setback, Return Delayed.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Arizona Diamondbacks veteran first baseman Carlos Santana has hit another hurdle in his recovery from a right groin strain after experiencing discomfort during a rehab assignment over the weekend. Manager Torey Lovullo said Monday that Santana felt a “twinge” in the injured area while playing Saturday for Triple-A Reno. The 40-year-old returned to Arizona for additional evaluation, casting further uncertainty over his timetable to rejoin the club. “It’s definitely frustrating for him,” Lovullo said before Arizona’s series opener against the Texas Rangers. “He’s been putting in a lot of work to get back, and it looked like things were trending in the right direction.” Santana had recently shown signs of progress at the plate, including a home run during his rehab stint, but the latest setback pauses that momentum. The veteran infielder has been sidelined since April 5, when he exited a game against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning after appearing to aggravate the injury while running the bases. At the time of the injury, Santana was off to a slow start, batting .083 with two hits in 24 at-bats across eight games. Arizona signed Santana in February to add experience and depth to the lineup after he split the 2025 season between the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago Cubs. Last season, he combined to hit .219 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs. Despite his lengthy major league career, injuries have been relatively rare for Santana. This marks only the fifth injured list stint of his 17-year career and could become his longest absence since 2010, when a knee injury cut short his rookie season in Cleveland.