The Arizona Diamondbacks recalled top prospect Jordan Lawlar on Friday and previewed how they intend to deploy him with their starting lineup.
Lawlar received the start at third base, batting ninth against Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell. Blaze Alexander moved across the infield to second base, and Ketel Marte slotted in as the designated hitter.
When the Diamondbacks traded third baseman Eugenio Suarez at the deadline, it appeared Lawlar would slide into his role at the hot corner once he recovered from a hamstring injury. Alexander, however, handled himself admirably in that spot, and the Diamondbacks took their time getting Lawlar healthy and in a rhythm back in Triple-A.
Now that Lawlar is with the big league club, the Diamondbacks will have to manage playing time with a surplus of infielders.
“It’ll be on the left side of the diamond,” manager Torey Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo where Lawlar will play. “I had a discussion with (General manager Mike Hazen) about that and we felt very comfortable with him at short and third. … Blaze, we feel like we’re gonna migrate him around the field. We’re even gonna try Blaze in center field a little bit from time to time just see what that looks like.”
Lovullo said to expect Lawlar, a right-handed hitter, to be in the lineup against every lefty. The club will mix-and-match a bit more against righties. The Diamondbacks will face a pair of tough right-handers this weekend in Los Angeles, with Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto probable for Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Lawlar has split time pretty evenly between third base, shortstop and second base with Triple-A Reno this season, spending between 170-179 innings at each spot. He had not played on the right side of the infield before this season, so the Diamondbacks will keep him where he has more experience.
Alexander has exclusively played third base since Suarez was traded to Seattle, and he’s graded out well with three outs above average.
He’s played over 200 innings at second base in the majors, plus he got his feet wet with 88 innings in center field earlier this season in Reno. With Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy as the two center fielders on the roster, Alexander would present a right-handed option to platoon in that spot.
“We’re very left-handed in the outfield, and we just want as many options as possible on that given day where we’re facing a tough lefty like Blake Snell,” Lovullo said. “Trying to maximize Blaze’s potential to move around the diamond, we feel like that’s gonna be his niche.”
Marte has 81 starts this year at second base and 15 as the designated hitter, a number that should climb in September with options to spell him defensively. Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, meanwhile, has been a lineup mainstay with 134 of Arizona’s 135 games played.
When Lawlar came up earlier this season, the playing time was a sporadic with Suarez still anchoring third base. Lawlar struggled, particularly at the plate with an 0-for-19 stretch.
He rejoins a team that is younger with several players in a similar camp, looking to find answers in the major leagues and auditioning for next season.
“We got 18, 19, maybe more young players making at or around major league minimum, still cutting their teeth,” Lovullo said. “We love that. It’s up to us to figure out how to get the most out of him. So it’s gonna be very important for him to get these reps. Very important for him to get these at-bats to figure out where he is and where his development is at right now.”
What will Diamondbacks 1B Tyler Locklear’s playing time look like?
Lawlar replaced first baseman Pavin Smith on the roster, as the D-backs put Smith on the 10-day injured list with a quad strain.
Smith had been platooning with rookie Tyler Locklear, who came over in the Suarez trade from Seattle. With Smith down, Locklear is positioned for more reps.
“ I just had this long conversation with him about what his role is gonna be, but at the very end — I always kind of cover my tracks because things change in a hurry — I said don’t worry about what’s happening day-by-day because tomorrow could be a completely different menu,” Lovullo said. “So as Pavin pulls up the other day and comes out of the game, I just looked at (Locklear) and I said, ‘Do you see what I’m talking about?’ And he goes, ‘I’ll be ready. I’m ready to go right now.’”
Lovullo said Locklear’s role has changed from playing against lefties to facing lefties and some righties. Utility infielder Ildemaro Vargas has limited experience at first base, as does catcher James McCann.
Locklear has yet to find a footing at the plate with a .529 OPS entering Friday. He nearly homered on Thursday, but Milwaukee center fielder Blake Perkins climbed the wall to take it away.
