After splitting a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend and falling to fourth in the National League West at 21-20, the Arizona Diamondbacks are calling up their top minor league prospect to presumably provide a boost to their offense.
Infielder Jordan Lawlar is being called up from Triple-A Reno, according to multiple reports. Lawlar, who turns 23 in July, is Arizona’s No. 1 prospect as ranked by MLB.com (who also pegs him as the No. 4 prospect overall) and The Athletic. He’s batting .336/.413/.579 with 15 doubles, six home runs, 31 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 173 plate appearances.
Lawlar, the D-Backs’ first-round pick in 2021 out of Dallas’ Jesuit College Preparatory School, is a natural shortstop. But he’s played second base and third base this season, which might be the key to him making an impact in the Diamondbacks’ lineup.
At first glance, there might not appear to be a place for Lawlar with Ketel Marte at second and Geraldo Perdomo at shortstop — both of whom have recently signed long-term contract extensions.
Marte is hitting .283/.406/.528 with three homers, but has been limited to 17 games due to a hamstring injury suffered during the first week of the season. Perdomo has a .292/.395/.458 average with nine doubles, five homers, 30 RBI and nine steals. He’s also credited with four Defensive Runs Saved and six Outs Above Average, showing excellent defense at shortstop.
Third base appears to be the best spot for Lawlar to play with Eugenio Suárez hitting .205 with a .299 on-base percentage. Yet he leads Arizona with 12 home runs. (Although four of them came in one game.) Advanced metrics also say he’s one of the worst defensive third baseman in MLB with -3 DRS and -5 OAA.
However, D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo told reporters that the current plan is to use Lawlar at several positions. He may not necessarily play every day, which makes the promotion somewhat curious. But the belief was that it was time for him to be in the major leagues, even if it means playing four games a week.
“My questions are — I know he’s going to impact the game offensively, but you can’t totally count on that all the time — what’s he going to do defensively?” he added. “Is he able to move around comfortably and play three positions and make his plays? The answer is yes.”
Arizona wanted to see Lawlar play everyday to begin the season after he appeared in only 23 games because of thumb and hamstring injuries. But he played 27 games (with 108 PAs) in the Dominican League winter ball and hit .294 with an .897 OPS during spring training. Coupled with his early performance in Triple-A, the D-Backs thought he was ready.
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