J.J. Putz took a loss after entering a tie game and giving up two runs in the ninth Saturday against the Cubs.

It was Putz's first misstep of the year, as the previous two runs he allowed were harmless. He's 5-for-5 saving games, and he's in no danger of losing closing duties, though the Diamondbacks do have to be pleased with how David Hernandez is performing in a setup role.

J.J. Putz notched a save by tossing a scoreless ninth in a 5-4 win over the Red on Tuesday.

Signed in the offseason to bring stability to the back-end of an atrocious bullpen, Putz has been better than advertised thus far, earning 4-of-4 saves to go with a 1.29 ERA. He's brittle even by pitcher standards, but if Putz can remain healthy he'll be a good mixed league stopper this season.

J.J. Putz notched a save in a 7-6 win over the Rockies in 11 innings on Friday.

The Diamondbacks pulled ahead in the top of the 11th inning on a wild pitch by Matt Lindstrom. Putz retired the Rockies 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, including two strikeouts. Health will always be a question with Putz, but he should be a rock-solid option in the ninth inning this season.

J.J. Putz (back) is fully expected to be ready for the start of the regular season.

Putz threw a bullpen session last Friday and felt no pain in his back. He is scheduled to make a final tune-up appearance Tuesday to ensure that everything is fine.

J.J. Putz (back) threw a bullpen session Friday with no issues and is expected to pitch in a game Sunday.

It hasn't been determined if it will be a major or minor league game. If things go well Sunday, Putz will pitch in another game Tuesday to get ready for the regular season. D'Backs manager Kirk Gibson admits that he's not sure how comfortable he'd be with Putz in a save situation given that he's thrown only 1 1/3 innings this spring. "I'd have to see where he goes," Gibson said. "I can't give you an honest answer. It'd be totally speculation. I'd like to tell you I would be (comfortable)."

J.J. Putz (back) played catch Monday and reported no issues.

"I felt good," said Putz, who threw from 60 feet for around seven minutes. "I think it's kind of looking more and more like [it was] a little spasm. We still have some work to do to get it completely gone, but for the most part I think we're going in the right direction." Assuming he feels good enough on Tuesday, his next step will be throwing long toss. Putz has only made two appearances so far this spring, so he'll be cutting it close if he hopes to be ready for Opening Day.

The Diamondbacks training staff will continue to treat J.J. Putz (back) over the next few days, and if he doesn't show significant improvement over that time, then he'll get an MRI.

Manager Kirk Gibson admitted that he's not sure if Putz will be ready for Opening Day or not. "I couldn't give you a good answer," he said. "The protocol for this is to treat him and see how much he improves. Not getting an MRI or anything like that. Going to treat him and see how he is like that. If we get three or four days in a row and don't get significant improvement, we'll have to test him." We should know more about the closer's status within a couple days.

J.J. Putz was scratched from Friday's scheduled appearance due to back spasms.

The closer felt the spasms while warming up in the bullpen. The D'Backs haven't said how long this might sideline Putz, but he should be fine after a few days. It won't impact his availability for Opening Day.

J.J. Putz is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Monday.

No reason to worry here, as the 34-year-old Putz has been on his own schedule in preparation for the new season. "This is how he feels he can best prepare himself," said Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson. "We want him to be prepared and we're comfortable with that." There's always risk attached with Putz, but he figures to be a pretty reliable option for saves as long as he's healthy.

J.J. Putz insisted Wednesday that he will have no problems with durability this season.

Putz will probably be worked a bit harder than he was last season in Chicago. He inked a healthy two-year, $10 million contract this winter with a $6.5 million option for 2013 and is being asked to turn around an Arizona bullpen that had a really tough time protecting leads last year. The 33-year-old is healthy, still greatly skilled, and a strong fantasy option at closer this season.

Diamondbacks signed RHP J.J. Putz to a two-year, $10 million contract with a $6.5 million club option for 2013.

This is a very reasonable contact for someone who will be the team's closer moving forward. Putz, who turns 34 in February, will earn $4 million next season, $4.5 million in 2012 and either a $6.5 million club option or a $1.5 million buyout for 2013. The Diamondbacks had a very difficult time protecting leads in 2010, but now that he's healthy, Putz figures to be a pretty reliable late-game option.

J.J. Putz's two-year contract with the D'Backs is only pending a physical.

Putz will earn $4 million in 2011, $4.5 million in 2012 and was given a club option for $2013 worth $6.5 million or a $1.5 million buyout. Those aren't bad prices in a world where Joaquin Benoit is can command a three-year, $16.5 million guaranteed pact. Putz turned in a solid 2.83 ERA and 65/15 K/BB ratio over 54 innings in 2010 for the White Sox and should make a great ninth-inning man in Arizona. He needs to be drafted in all fantasy leagues.

SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that J.J. Putz will receive $10 million on his two-year contract with the D-backs.

There's also a club option for a third year, but it's not clear what the dollar amount is for that. It's fewer years and less money than the Tigers gave to setup man Joaquin Benoit, so Putz is a relative bargain. He should be a rock-solid fantasy closer in 2011.

The Diamondbacks have signed J.J. Putz to a two-year deal with a club option for 2013, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

He needs only to pass a physical before the deal becomes final. New GM Kevin Towers has made it a point to strengthen the team's bullpen this offseason, and he's accomplished that with the addition of David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio and now Putz, who is coming off a terrific year for the White Sox.

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Diamondbacks are working on a two-year contract with free agent J.J. Putz.

The D'Backs have done a fine job of straightening out their bullpen this winter and would probably make Putz their closer if a contract can be agreed upon. He posted a fantastic 2.83 ERA and 65/15 K/BB ratio over 54 innings in 2010 with the White Sox and would be a great fantasy option. The two-year contract is also expected to include an option for 2013.

Buster Olney of ESPN.com hears that the Diamondbacks are making "good progress" towards signing J.J. Putz.

The Diamondbacks are expected to add a closer through free agency, with J.J. Putz, Brian Fuentes and Bobby Jenks as possible targets.

D-backs GM Kevin Towers said he's already contacted the agents of "some of" the three players listed above. All three players have closed at one time or another, with Fuentes and Jenks both beginning the 2010 season as closers, but none of the three held the title at the end of the season. Putz is coming off easily the best year of the three but hasn't been a full-time closer since 2007.

J.J. Putz declined an offer of arbitration from the White Sox.

Putz told Chuck Garifen of CSN Chicago that he's had preliminary discussions with eight teams. He posted a solid 2.83 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 54 innings and seems likely to land a multi-year contract. The Diamondbacks are believed to have interest in making him their closer.

The White Sox have offered arbitration to J.J. Putz.

While he was injured and ineffective at times in the second half of 2010, Putz was a dominant reliever for the White Sox in the first half of this past season. He went 7-5 with three saves and a 2.83 ERA overall. He would draw interest on the open market and remains a legitimate option in the closer's role for the Diamondbacks, but Chicago would welcome him back with open arms.

NL sources told the Chicago Tribune that the Diamondbacks are showing interest in free agent J.J. Putz.

While he was injured and ineffective at times in the second half, Putz was a dominant reliever for the White Sox in the first half of the season. He's a legitimate option in the closer's role for the Diamondbacks, and he might be had on a relatively modest two-year deal.