Diamondbacks to Promote MLB's No. 4 Prospect, Plan to Play Him Regularly
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
On Monday, MLB updated its top 100 rankings after the graduation off the list by Kristian Campbell of the Boston Red Sox, Drake Baldwin of the Atlanta Braves and Cam Smith of the Houston Astros.
Remaining on the list at the No. 4 spot in the rankings was Arizona Diamondbacks top prospect Jordan Lawlar. It was reported late Sunday night by Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic that Lawlar was being promoted to the major leagues and would join the Diamondbacks for their upcoming series against the San Francisco Giants.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 31: Jordan Lawlar #10 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats in the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers during Game Four of the World Series at Chase Field on October 31, 2023...
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 31: Jordan Lawlar #10 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bats in the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers during Game Four of the World Series at Chase Field on October 31, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. MoreLawlar has actually already spent time in the major leagues. He appeared in 14 regular season games as well as three postseason games during the 2023 season. He had a .129 average with 11 strikeouts in 31 at-bats.
Lawlar was sent all the way down to rookie ball to begin last season. Injuries limited him to just 23 games before he was shut down for the year, and his return to the diamond this season has been spectacular to watch.
Lawlar has a slash line of .336/.413/.579 in the minors, which comes out to a .992 OPS. He's hit 15 doubles, two triples, six home runs, drove in 31 runs and stolen 13 bases. All of those stats have earned him a re-call to the major league level.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo has made it known that when Lawlar was promoted to the major leagues, the team would find a way to get him on the field and get him consistent at-bats.
"Based on some of the things I'm telling you -- guys needing days off -- we could, if we need to, we could probably get (Lawlar in the lineup) 3-4 days a week, and that's enough at-bats per week. There's different criteria for different players," said Lovullo, according to MLB.com.
It can be expected that he will spend time at shortstop as well as second base. He also may spend time in the outfield if needed. Lawlar, as well as the entire Diamondbacks organization, is hoping his second stint in the major leagues will go much better than the first one did.
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