MLBTR Podcast: The D-Backs Battle Injuries, Boston’s Trade Chips, And More!
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Diamondbacks battling recent injuries to Ryne Nelson, Michael Soroka, Jordan Lawlar and A.J. Puk (1:45)
- The Red Sox being near the bottom of the American League with Sonny Gray open to discussing his no-trade clause (12:55)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Should the Braves go after Sonny Gray of the Red Sox and what would a trade look like? (28:55)
- Is Aroldis Chapman of the Red Sox a realistic target for the Guardians? (34:25)
- Why should the Braves give up good prospects to get Tarik Skubal from the Tigers when he’s just going to sign elsewhere? (39:55)
- Would the Marlins entertain offers on Max Meyer and what would it take to get him? Could the White Sox get him with a package headlined by Caleb Bonemer? (49:40)
- How do we get MLB and the MLBPA to consider expansion? (56:45)
Check out our past episodes!
- The Giants Prepare To Sell, Milwaukee’s Extension Strategy, And The Busy AL Central – listen here
- A Free Agent Power Rankings Update And The Yankees Without Aaron Judge – listen here
- The CBA Standoff Begins – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks Place Michael Soroka, Jordan Lawlar On Injured List
4:28 pm: Soroka has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained left glute, according to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. Lawlar heads to the 10-day IL with a strained right hamstring. Left-hander Philip Abner and utilityman Tim Tawa are being recalled from Triple-A.
9:09 am: The Diamondbacks’ 9-5 victory over the Twins on Friday may have been costly on the health front, as both starter Michael Soroka and outfielder Jordan Lawlar had to make early exits. Soroka’s start was cut short after just one inning, as he felt discomfort in his left glute muscle while warming up for his second inning of work. Lawlar had to be replaced by a pinch-runner in the eighth inning, as Lawlar picked up a right hamstring strain while sprinting to first to beat out a bunt single.
Both players will undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of the damage. Speaking with MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert and other reporters following the game, Soroka and Lawlar both expressed hope that their injuries weren’t too severe, with Soroka describing his glute issue as a “grab” and Lawlar saying he felt “just a little tightness.”
Arizona already has nine players on its injured list, with Ryne Nelson hitting the 15-day IL just yesterday due to a partially torn forearm flexor. Lawlar himself was playing in only his sixth game since he was activated from the 60-day IL, as the former top prospect missed over two months of action recovering from a fractured wrist.
Soroka signed a one-year, $7.5MM free agent deal with the D’Backs last December, with the money breaking down as a $6.5MM salary and a $1MM buyout of a $10MM mutual option for the 2027 campaign. It wasn’t clear if Soroka would be used as a starter or as a reliever, yet Soroka not only won himself a rotation spot, but the right-hander has now become the most consistent member of the pitching staff.
Soroka has a 3.07 ERA, 23.7% strikeout rate, and an outstanding 5.1% walk rate across 82 innings. The slurve that became a bigger part of Soroka’s arsenal last season has continued to be a dominant pitch in 2026, and the righty is now using both his slurve and his four-seamer in equal balance.
With Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, and Nelson all pitching below expectations, Soroka and Eduardo Rodriguez have done a lot of the heavy lifting in keeping Arizona’s rotation somewhat respectable. Brandon Pfaadt was being stretched out in the minors and was thought to be the logical replacement for Nelson, though the Diamondbacks will have to dig into their pitching depth chart again if Soroka has to miss time. It doesn’t help matters that the D’Backs have only one off-day remaining until the All-Star break, so the team was already facing an innings crunch in the next few weeks.
Any sort of hamstring injury is of particular concern for Lawlar, who has missed significant time in each of the last two minor league seasons due to hamstring strains. Between these hamstring issues, a thumb surgery, a shoulder surgery, a fractured scapula, and his fractured wrist, Lawlar has already dealt with a ton of injuries since being selected sixth overall in the 2021 draft.
These health issues, a lack of production over 108 big league plate appearances in 2023-25, and questions about his ideal defensive position left Lawlar as a bit of a wild card heading into the 2026 campaign. The Diamondbacks shifted Lawlar into outfield duty this year and it seemed to unlock something with his bat, as Lawlar has hit .316/.409/.447 over 44 PA this season. While obviously a small sample size, it’s still a promising development for Lawlar, apart from his continued injury problems.
Jorge Barrosa would likely get most of the outfield playing time if Lawler hits the IL again, plus Max Kepler is nearing the end of his 80-game PED suspension, which would add to Arizona’s outfield depth. Kepler signed with the D’Backs on June 7, and is eligible to be activated on June 25.
Diamondbacks Option Ryan Waldschmidt
The Diamondbacks announced that outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Fellow outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt has been optioned to Triple-A Reno as the corresponding move.
Waldschmidt came into this season as the club’s top prospect. He started the season in Triple-A and put up a .289/.400/.477 line in 156 plate appearances at that level. A week into May, they decided to make a move. They designated longtime center fielder Alek Thomas for assignment, later dealing him to the Dodgers, and called up Waldschmidt to cover center field.
Though Waldschmidt started hot, slashing .353/.411/.471 in his first 57 plate appearances, he has since gone ice cold. In his most recent 65 trips to the plate, he has a .180/.231/.262 line while drawing walks just 4.6% of the time and striking out at a 36.9% clip.
As he has been struggling, the Diamondbacks have been getting healthier. Jordan Lawlar broke his wrist in early April but was reinstated from the IL a few days ago. Gurriel hit the IL about three weeks ago with a hamstring strain but is back today.
The Snakes have Corbin Carroll as a mainstay in right field. Today’s lineup has Lawlar in center, Tommy Troy in left and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. at designated hitter. With this move, perhaps Lawlar will get some extended run to establish himself in the big leagues.
Lawlar has seemingly been on the cusp of a big league breakout for years. He has always crushed minor league pitching and made his big league debut back in 2023. Since then, he has either been blocked for playing time or injured. Whenever he would get a big league shot, he would struggle. That included some bad defense from the third base position last year.
In the winter, the Snakes acquired Nolan Arenado to cover third and moved Lawlar to the outfield. Lawlar got out a brilliant start this year, hitting .320/.414/.480 in eight games, before the aforementioned broken wrist. With Thomas no longer on the team and Waldschmidt struggling, there could be a good amount of runway for Lawlar to run with the center field job if he stays healthy.
As for Waldschmidt, he will head down to Reno and try to get back on track. Plenty of prospects over the years have struggled when first promoted and been sent to the minors, only to come back and later make their mark. He has always had strong walk and strikeout numbers throughout his minor league career, so he will presumably be working on figuring out why that was an issue facing big league pitchers.
Even if Lawlar does cement himself as a viable big league bat, there should be room for him and Waldschmidt to co-exist in the outfield at some point in the future. Gurriel is an impending free agent after this season. His deal has a $14MM club option with a $5MM buyout, making it just a $9MM net decision, but he is hitting just .228/.284/.304 on the year. He would need to catch fire to make that option a real consideration. Troy is in the mix but he has experience at other positions and could end up in a utility role. If Lawlar and Waldschmidt both ultimately become viable big leaguers, the Snakes could later sort out who is the better fit for center or left.
Assuming Waldschmidt stays down on optional assignment for at least 20 days, he will burn his first of three option years. Waldschmidt didn’t get to 130 at-bats, currently at 112, so he could maintain rookie status into 2027 if he stays down for most of the rest of the year. That could potentially be notable down the line if he stays on top prospect lists, as he it could impact the Prospect Promotion Incentive next year.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks Outright Aramis Garcia
TODAY: Garcia has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, according to his MLB.com profile page. There isn’t yet any word as to whether or not Garcia has accepted the assignment or elected free agency.
JUNE 12: As expected, infielder/outfielder Jordan Lawlar has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. In a corresponding move, the Diamondbacks have designated catcher Aramis Garcia for assignment. Over the next week, the D-backs must either trade Garcia or place him on waivers. If he clears waivers, Arizona could send him outright to Triple-A Reno, although he’d have the right to reject that assignment in favor of free agency.
This is the second DFA of the season for Garcia. Arizona first selected his contract in mid-April, after Gabriel Moreno suffered an oblique strain. When Moreno returned, Garcia got the boot. He then cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Reno. A couple of weeks later, the D-backs called on him again, this time to replace an injured James McCann. It’s a pattern Garcia has gotten used to over the years. The 33-year-old has appeared in seven MLB seasons dating back to 2018, suiting up for the Giants, Athletics, Reds, Phillies, and Diamondbacks. In all that time, he has played a total of 129 games.
Garcia was the third catcher on Arizona’s active roster, along with Moreno and Adrian Del Castillo. The D-backs could return to a three-catcher setup once McCann returns from the IL, which might be in the next week or two, barring a setback. However, they probably don’t need three catchers. In the six weeks Garcia has spent with the big league team this year, he has only appeared in eight games, catching 50 innings and stepping to the plate 19 times.
Unless he really struggles, Lawlar will be a lot more valuable than a third backstop. Formerly Arizona’s consensus top prospect, he graduated from rookie status in 2025, although he has still only amassed 128 major league plate appearances in his career. In other words, he has huge potential, but he also has a ton to prove. Not only is he trying to live up to his top-prospect pedigree, but he’s coming back from a broken wrist, and he’s adjusting to a new position. Lawlar came up as a shortstop, but Geraldo Perdomo is blocking him there, and the presence of Ketel Marte and Nolan Arenado means he can’t make the easier transition to second or third base. So, Lawlar will be learning to play the outfield for the Diamondbacks this year. Prior to his injury, he started five games in left field and one in center. He also moved between left and center field during his minor league rehab assignment.
Arizona had one of the best offenses in the National League in 2024 and ’25, but so far in 2026, that hasn’t been the case. Things have been particularly bad as of late. Over the past two weeks, no team has scored less often than the D-backs. What this club really needs is another lefty bat, but until they can find one, they’ll have to hope that the return of a former star prospect injects some energy into their lineup.
D-Backs Expected To Activate Jordan Lawlar
The Diamondbacks will activate Jordan Lawlar from the 60-day injured list for Friday’s series opener in Cincinnati, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports and 98.7 FM. The Snakes will need to make corresponding active and 40-man roster moves tomorrow.
Lawlar returns from a two and a half month absence. He broke his right wrist when he was hit by a pitch from then-Atlanta righty Osvaldo Bido on April 3. Arizona almost immediately moved him to the 60-day IL. It was particularly brutal timing, as the injury occurred both on the same night that Lawlar hit his first MLB home run and when the D-Backs were already down 12-1.
The injury also interrupted Lawlar’s transition to the outfield. He’d made five starts in left field and one in center, his first regular season outfield work. The D-Backs have used him exclusively in the outfield during a brief minor league rehab assignment, confirming they’ll stick with that arrangement for the former top shortstop prospect.
Lawlar has still only managed 128 career plate appearances at the big league level. He spent most of the 2024 season on the minor league injured list after undergoing right thumb surgery. Last year, it was a Grade 1 hamstring strain in Triple-A that cost him almost two months between June and August.
Arizona’s outfield has been carried almost entirely by an MVP-caliber start from Corbin Carroll. Left and center field, question marks coming into the season, haven’t been good. They moved on from Alek Thomas last month, turning center field over to rookie Ryan Waldschmidt. The former supplemental first-rounder has hit .267 over his first 31 MLB games, but he has struck out 38 times in 114 plate appearances. Waldschmidt has fallen into a .214/.250/.286 slump with a team-high 17 punchouts over the last two weeks.
Tommy Troy, another rookie, has gotten the recent run in left field. Troy has shown solid plate discipline but without much impact, hitting .240/.345/.340 across his first 58 plate appearances. The D-Backs could get Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back from a hamstring strain within the next few weeks. He also struggled after making a quicker than expected return from ACL surgery. They just added Max Kepler for the MLB minimum, and his performance-enhancing drug suspension will be lifted in a couple weeks. Kepler isn’t eligible for postseason play, so even if he hits well, the D-Backs will need other outfielders to step up.
Assuming they expect James McCann back within the next month, Arizona doesn’t have any clear candidates for a move to the 60-day injured list. Out of options fourth outfielder Jorge Barrosa has hit .172/.241/.313 this season. If they want to keep him on the bench, they could designate someone else for assignment and option any of Waldschmidt, Troy or Adrian Del Castillo to Triple-A.
Diamondbacks Select Luken Baker
The Diamondbacks announced that they have selected the contract of first baseman Luken Baker. He’ll take the active roster spot of fellow first baseman Carlos Santana. Santana has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 6th, with a strained right adductor. To open a 40-man spot for Baker, outfielder Jordan Lawlar has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic previously reported that Baker had a locker in the Arizona clubhouse.
Baker, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Snakes in the offseason. His profile is limited, since he only plays first base and isn’t a burner on the basepaths. His time in the minors has shown that he can hit, however. From the start of 2023 to the present, he has taken 1,284 Triple-A plate appearances with 84 home runs. His 23.5% strikeout rate in that time is pretty close to average while his 15% walk rate is huge. For that span, he has a combined line of .259/.371/.555 and a 131 wRC+.
The Cardinals gave him minimal big league playing time over the past three years. In 189 plate appearances, he produced an underwhelming .206/.317/.338 line and 87 wRC+. He was put on waivers in August. The Dodgers claimed him and quickly outrighted him. He became a free agent at season’s end, which led to his deal with the Diamondbacks.
Arizona has a large number of players on the injured list already, with their first base depth having been hit particularly hard. Tyler Locklear injured his left elbow and shoulder late last year and is still recovering from surgery performed in October. Pavin Smith hit the IL a few days into the season due to left elbow inflammation. A couple of days ago, Santana was removed from a game with groin discomfort, which led to today’s IL placement.
Utility guys José Fernández and Ildemaro Vargas have each picked up starts at first base in recent days, while catcher Adrian Del Castillo has picked up some starts in the designated hitter slot. Baker gives the club a more straightforward first baseman, which could allow Fernández and/or Vargas to play elsewhere. Baker’s right-handed bat could also be a nice complement for the lefty-swinging Del Castillo. Baker’s big league numbers aren’t impressive overall but he has a .244/.357/.390 line and 113 wRC+ against lefties.
Baker is out of options, which could lead to a squeeze in the future. Santana, Smith, Locklear and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will be coming off the injured list in the future, meaning other guys will have to make room.
As for Lawlar, he landed on the 10-day IL a few days ago after he was hit by a pitch and suffered a right wrist fracture. Manager Torey Lovullo said Lawlar would miss six to eight weeks. This 60-day IL placement will extend that timeline slightly. If he is healthy before the 60 days are up, he can go on a minor league rehab assignment for a maximum of 20 days.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Jordan Lawlar To Miss Six To Eight Weeks With Broken Wrist
Diamondbacks outfielder Jordan Lawlar has a right wrist fracture, manager Torey Lovullo tells reporters, including Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. He will miss six to eight weeks. The Diamondbacks have placed him on the 10-day injured list. Catcher Adrian Del Castillo was reinstated from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move. Arizona also made a move on the pitching side. They selected the contract of right-hander Taylor Rashi and designated fellow righty Joe Ross for assignment. Prior to the official announcement, Piecoro noted that Rashi had the locker previously occupied by Ross.
It’s yet another unfortunate chapter in the Lawlar story. The youngster has been one of Arizona’s top prospects for years but hasn’t been able to cement himself in the big leagues. He has often been blocked by more established players. When an opening would appear, Lawlar would himself be hurt or would struggle. He finished 2025 with a .165/.241/.237 line in 108 big league appearances.
The club grew impatient with his infield defense and moved him to the outfield for 2026. He earned an Opening Day spot and was hitting well. He hit his first major league home run last night, pushing his season-long batting line to .333/.400/.556 by the end of the game. Unfortunately, he was hit on his wrist by a pitch in the seventh inning. He stayed in the game to run the bases but was replaced defensively in the top of the eighth. Now Lawlar is slated for another notable absence, once again delaying his path to becoming an established big leaguer.
For the Snakes, their outfield takes a hit. They still have Corbin Carroll in right and Alek Thomas in center but Lawlar’s injury means they will have to figure out what to do in left. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Pavin Smith could be part of the solution down the road but both are currently on the IL. Del Castillo is unlikely to help, as his outfield experience consists of two Triple-A innings back in 2023. He was likely only called up because the Diamondbacks have no one else to turn to. Every position player on the 40-man roster is either on the active roster or injured list.
For now, they will likely use some combination of Jorge Barrosa, Tim Tawa and Ildemaro Vargas. Piecoro says they decided against calling up prospect Ryan Waldschmidt because that would require a 40-man spot and Gurriel is expected back soon.
Turning to the pitching staff, the Diamondbacks signed Ross to a minor league deal in the offseason. The veteran swingman cracked the Opening Day roster but has been lit up so far. He has allowed eight earned runs in 3 2/3 innings, giving him an unsightly 19.64 earned run average. That’s obviously a small sample size but Ross also issued four walks compared to just two strikeouts.
Arizona was crushed last night, losing 17-2 to Atlanta. Ross did what he could to spare the staff, tossing two innings, but he threw 52 pitches in the process and likely wasn’t going to be available for a few days. He’ll now head into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so Arizona could spend as long as five days exploring trade interest. If Ross clears waivers, he has enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency.
Rashi, 30, got to make his major league debut with the Diamondbacks last year. He posted a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings. His 11.1% walk rate was high but he struck out 30.6% of batters faced and induced grounders on 42.9% of balls in play. He was non-tendered at the end of the season but then was re-signed via a minor league deal. He began the season at Triple-A Reno and made one scoreless appearance of an inning and two thirds.
Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images
8 Young Players Auditioning At New Positions
The 2026 season has gotten underway for all but six teams. The A’s, Blue Jays, Braves, Royals, Rockies and Marlins will kick off their seasons today. The return of meaningful games has revealed or confirmed some usage plans.
There are a few veteran players who are known to be changing their primary positions this season — in some cases sliding back to spots they’ve previously played. Brendan Donovan is moving over to third base to begin his Mariners tenure. The Marlins will play Christopher Morel at first base, while the Giants are giving Luis Arraez another chance to play second base. The Blue Jays are moving Andrés Giménez to shortstop after letting Bo Bichette walk. Mike Trout was back in center field for the Angels last night.
Positional movement is even more common for young players breaking in at the MLB level. Some well-regarded prospects are blocked at their natural positions and need to debut elsewhere. Others are moving down the defensive spectrum after struggling at their previous spots.
We’ll run through some first- or second-year players taking on new defensive assignments to begin the year. They’ll be worth monitoring to see how they take to unfamiliar spots on the diamond. For those who play fantasy baseball, this may also be an opportunity to get an early jump on players whose positional eligibility should expand within the first couple weeks of the season.
Jordan Lawlar, Diamondbacks, LF/CF
Lawlar was a full-time outfielder this spring, playing 14 games in center field and three in left. He made his regular season outfield debut as a left fielder last night. The D-Backs kept incumbent Alek Thomas in center, though they’ll probably get Lawlar work up the middle as well. The 23-year-old made a nice play at the wall in his debut, taking a double away from Freddie Freeman in the process.
Throwing accuracy issues pushed Lawlar off third base at the end of the 2025 season. Arizona acquired Nolan Arenado to play alongside Geraldo Perdomo in what should be an excellent left side of the infield defensively. They need more offensive production out of the two outfield spots to the left of Corbin Carroll. Lawlar, a former No. 6 overall pick and .328/.414/.576 hitter in his Triple-A career, is going to get plenty of run out there.
Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription
- Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
- Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
- Remove ads and support our writers.
- Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker
Diamondbacks Notes: Moreno, Lawlar, Kelly, Burnes
The D-Backs scratched catcher Gabriel Moreno from tonight’s Spring Training matchup against the Royals, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports). The Gold Glover is dealing with forearm tightness and headed for imaging.
Lovullo largely downplayed the concern, noting that it’s only a slight issue for Moreno when he throws. It seems the MRI is precautionary, though it’s a situation the D-Backs will closely monitor. Moreno has had his share of injuries over the past few seasons. He missed time in 2023 with a left shoulder issue, had thumb and adductor strains in ’24, then missed two months last season when a foul tip broke his right index finger.
When healthy, Moreno is one of the better two-way catchers in MLB. He’s coming off a .285/.353/.433 showing at the plate. He’s an excellent all-around defender, a quality receiver with a plus arm who has thrown out 30% of basestealers in his career.
Non-roster invitee Aramis Garcia drew into tonight’s starting lineup. He’s slated to open the season in Triple-A but would probably break camp if Moreno’s forearm discomfort leads to an injured list stint. James McCann is currently set for the backup role and would then be the primary option behind the dish. Adrian Del Castillo, the only other catcher on the 40-man roster, hasn’t played this spring because of a left calf strain. He’ll open the season on the 10-day injured list.
Elsewhere in camp, Arizona’s outfield picture is coming into focus. Corbin Carroll returned to the lineup as a designated hitter on Wednesday. He’s a month removed from a hamate fracture in his right hand that required surgery. Carroll has maintained optimism that he’ll be ready for Opening Day and is trending in that direction. He still needs to clear the hurdle of getting back in the outfield but projects as the season-opening right fielder.
Jordan Lawlar has had an excellent camp as he tries to nail down the center field job. The former top prospect is hitting .323 with four homers across 37 plate appearances. Lawlar, who had never played the outfield prior to offseason work in the Dominican Winter League, has logged 66 innings over 10 center field starts this spring.
Lovullo spoke highly of the 23-year-old’s early work in center (link via Steve Gilbert of MLB.com). They’ll take the latter part of camp to move him around, as he’s also expected to get work some in the corner outfield. Lovullo added that the Snakes still view Lawlar as an emergency option at shortstop, but his infield defense was a major issue last year. The D-Backs acquired Nolan Arenado to join Geraldo Perdomo on the left side of the infield, meaning Lawlar is most valuable to the team as an outfielder.
The bat should ensure he’s on an Opening Day roster for the first time in his career, likely in center field. Alek Thomas will probably play left until Lourdes Gurriel Jr. recovers from last season’s ACL tear. Left field prospect Ryan Waldschmidt had an outside chance of breaking camp, but he’s hitting .257 with 11 strikeouts and only two walks across 37 plate appearances this spring. Waldschmidt figures to open the season at Triple-A Reno.
On the pitching side, Merrill Kelly is making his exhibition debut tonight. He’d been held up by back soreness early in camp. The injury scuttled plans for Kelly to make his first career Opening Day start, but it’s not a given that he’ll begin the season on the injured list. The Snakes could move him to the back of the rotation and hope he’s ready for even an abbreviated regular season debut during the first week of April. Zac Gallen has been tabbed for his fourth straight Opening Day start instead.
Corbin Burnes is the actual ace, though he’s still months away from a return to game action. The former Cy Young winner hit a notable milestone in his rehab from last June’s Tommy John surgery. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that Burnes threw a 15-pitch bullpen session on Friday — his first mound work since the operation. The four-time All-Star was encouraged by the outing, noting that he ran his fastball up to 91 mph (higher than he’d anticipated for his first bullpen session) while commanding the ball as hoped.
D-backs Notes: Lawlar, Burnes, Bullpen, Santana
The Diamondbacks’ acquisition of future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado (alongside their decision not to trade Ketel Marte) pushed longtime top prospect Jordan Lawlar out of the club’s infield mix, at least on paper. That’s led to some questions about his role moving forward, but manager Torey Lovullo revealed to reporters (including Alex Weiner of AZ Sports) yesterday where the team hopes to play Lawlar going forward: center field. That would displace incumbent center fielder Alek Thomas, who Lovullo suggested would move around the outfield amid injuries to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Corbin Carroll.
Of course, that plan to play Lawlar in center field is predicated on him proving himself capable of handling the position this spring. He played three games in center during the Dominican Winter League this offseason, but otherwise has spent his entire professional career on the dirt. His 98th percentile sprint speed in 2025 certainly suggests he has the wheels to handle the position, offering plenty of reason for optimism, but that lack of experience calls into question how effectively he’ll be able to pick up the position on the fly. It wouldn’t be the first time a team converted an infield prospect to center over the course of one Spring Training, as the division rival Padres managed to do just that with Jackson Merrill two years ago. Merrill turned in one of the best defensive seasons in the entire sport as a rookie, and should offer some optimism about Lawlar’s ability to follow suit.
Perhaps the biggest question for Lawlar isn’t whether he’s physically capable of handling center field, but whether he’s capable of staying on the field long enough to prove it. Between Triple-A and the majors, Lawlar has just 113 games played over the past two seasons due to a variety of injuries. Last season, he missed multiple months with a hamstring strain, while a thumb injury cost him most of 2024. In between those injuries, he’s struggled in brief cameos at the big league level but has managed to continue raking at Triple-A, offering some reason for optimism that he’ll figure things out offensively if given consistent playing time. He’ll now get that playing time at the expense of Thomas, who was once a former top propsect himself but has never quite managed to hit well in the majors with a career 74 wRC+ that peaked at 81 last season. Thomas figures to join Jorge Barrosa, Tim Tawa, and perhaps non-roster invitees like Ildemaro Vargas and Ryan Waldschmidt in mixing and matching in the corners while Carroll and Gurriel are out of commission.
Turning to the pitching staff, ace right-hander Corbin Burnes missed much of his first season in Arizona due to Tommy John surgery but figures to contribute after completing his rehab at some point this year. Burnes himself spoke to reporters (video link via MLB.com) about his timeline for return yesterday, and suggested that he’s expecting to return around the All-Star break. Burnes added that he plans to “try and make it [back] sooner,” though considering he went under the knife in June that could be a tall ask given the procedure’s typical recovery timeline. Adding Burnes back to the rotation would obviously be a massive boost. The former Cy Young award winner had a 2.66 ERA in 11 starts last year (albeit with less impressive peripherals) and placed in the top ten in Cy Young voting in each of the past five seasons prior to his injured 2025 campaign.
Burnes will be working towards a return alongside the team’s two highest leverage relievers, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk. It appears his projected timeline falls in the middle of the two relief arms, as described by the players themselves in comments made to AZ Sports. Martinez suggested that he’s anticipating a return in August of this year, though he acknowledged it “could be earlier, could be later” depending on how things go from here. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June, like Burnes did. Puk also went under the knife in June, but he underwent a less-invasive internal brace procedure. The southpaw told reporters he hopes to be back by the end of May, but acknowledged that isn’t necessarily realistic. Still, he expressed confidence that he’ll be back on the mound before the second half, which indicates he could be looking at a return to action at some point in June.
Adding Puk and Martinez back to the relief staff could be majorly impactful for the Diamondbacks given their difficulties in finding high leverage relief help this year. The team figures to run back more or less the same group of relievers they finished last year with, as non-roster invitee Jonathan Loaisiga figures to be the most impactful reliever added to the roster during the offseason. Loaisiga has struggled to stay healthy over the years, and while he has a career 3.54 ERA at the big league level he struggled last year with middling results and worrisome peripherals (including a 5.83 FIP) in 30 appearances for the Yankees.
While Burnes, Puk, and Martinez all figure to spend Spring Training rehabbing their injured elbows, first baseman Carlos Santana figures to be preparing for the World Baseball Classic. Santana was one of many players who was unable to secure insurance to play in the World Baseball Classic, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Diamondbacks decided to give Santana the green light to play in the tournament uninsured. He’ll represent the Dominican Republic alongside teammate Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo, and Hazen indicated that giving Santana the opportunity to bond with his new teammates over the shared experience of representing their home country was a factor in the team’s decision to assume the financial risk of the soon to be 40-year-old veteran getting injured. Santana is slated to make $2MM this year on his one-year deal with Arizona, and Rosenthal notes that, according to club GM Mike Hazen, Santana’s ability to be a clubhouse leader and guide other players on the team was a big part of why he was signed.