Jordan Lawlar Joins Diamondbacks Amid Injury Concerns

LOS ANGELES — The Arizona Diamondbacks promoted infielder Jordan Lawlar to the majors on Friday, August 29, amidst uncertainty about his playing time. General manager Mike Hazen confirmed that Blaze Alexander will continue to start at third base after excelling since taking over for Eugenio Suarez, who was traded last month.

“The way Blaze has played, he deserves to continue to play, obviously,” Hazen said. “He’s not pushing Blaze out of the way.” Lawlar replaces first baseman Pavin Smith, who was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left quad, likely ending his season.

Before the series opener against the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks also optioned right-hander Taylor Rashi to Triple-A Reno and recalled left-hander Brandyn Garcia. Hazen outlined multiple potential paths for Lawlar to gain at-bats, noting that shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, second baseman Ketel Marte, and Alexander might receive occasional off days, creating room for Lawlar in the lineup.

In the series opener, Lawlar started at third base, with Alexander moving to second and Marte serving as the designated hitter. Hazen also mentioned that Alexander might get a few starts in center field against left-handed pitchers, as he has experience there from his time in Reno this season.

Hazen was less definitive about Lawlar’s role than he was during Lawlar’s first call-up in May. “Lawlar is going to play some,” Hazen said. “I’m going to leave it up to (manager) Torey (Lovullo) on how he needs to kind of maneuver it around.”

Lawlar, a sixth overall pick in the 2021 draft, has struggled in his previous stints in the majors, batting just .129 this season. He faced challenges with injuries, spending seven weeks on the injured list before showcasing his talent in the minors, where he hit .313 with 11 homers this season.

In other news, James McCann was scratched from the lineup due to lower back tightness, with Gabriel Moreno taking his place. This adjustment ended a streak where McCann had caught for right-hander Zac Gallen in his last 11 starts.

Gallen, who has performed well recently, faced Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell in the opening game of the series. The Dodgers had a two-game lead in the National League West heading into this matchup.